The Gisborne Herald. IN WHICH IS INCORPORATED “THE TIMES." GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1947. MR. NASH AND HIS PRESCRIPTIONS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22406, 13 August 1947, Page 4

The Gisborne Herald. IN WHICH IS INCORPORATED “THE TIMES." GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1947. MR. NASH AND HIS PRESCRIPTIONS

r INHERE is no doubt about it—ATr. Nash is something more than a Minister of Finance. He is also a cross between a philosopher and an amateur medico. The majority of New Zealanders may like neither his philosophy nor his prescriptions, hut (hey must at least admit that lie is a man of many parts, lie who once incurred fame of a kind by advising smokers to take to acid drops during one of the worst of the tobacco shortage periods now tells the people that they eat too much sugar and that, in effect, they really need not worry about the removal of the Government subsidy from that commodity. All they have to do is to cut down their intake of sugar. If we interpret his remarks aright, he would even take lollies from the mouths of the children. Who is there among ordinary citizens who dare question the wisdom of such a ministerial sage? Mr. Nash may have grounds for his reasoning. Perhaps we do eat too much sugar in this country. Maybe we are also giving ourselves an overdose of tea and beer. At any rate, many consumers may regard the imbibing of the present quantities of tea as an overdose if the national beverage is in future to sell at 6/2 a pound. But if considerations of health are at stake, the advice would make a better impression if it came direct from a qualified practitioner or dietitian and not from a Minister of Finance who seems to be for ever trying to disseminate compensatory solace lo the public after having forced down their gullet a few unwelcome “acid drops”. It is possible, of course, that Mr. Nash is genuinely worried by the state of the Dominion’s finances. In last night’s issue our Parliamentary correspondent drew attention to the big problems facing the Minister in preparing the Budget—the rapidly increasing cost of social security and the immense bill for subsidies designed to keep down the cost of common consumer goods. The consumers themselves, and particularly the employer section (who will have to pay out higher wages), must withstand ns best they can the full impact of the removal or reductions of some subsidies. At its present rate of increase, the social security fund is also becoming a serious national burden. The rapid growth in the fund is not attributable to inflationary trends but is the result of expenditure outstripping revenue at bewildering speed until it is now less self-supporting than ever and is dominating the national finances. The expenditure has been further increased by the payment of universal family benefits and free dental treatment, for school children. Perhaps there is method in Mr. Nash’s anti-sugar campaign; lie may hope to lower the cost of the dental treatment by discouraging the use of sweets by the youngsters. If the Minister himself has any malady, it is most likely a Budget headache. For that the public, believing that one good turn deserves another, would no doubt like to prescribe. Aspirin, it is understood. is Ihe commonest cure. Two aspirins in exchange for an acid drop—that would be more than fair measure.