WHAT HAS REFORM DONE?

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10739, 9 November 1928, Page 6

WHAT HAS REFORM DONE?

- . (To The .Editor). '■Sir,—According to your report of his meeting at Murnvai, Mr. Lvsnar appeared ‘''staggered” when asked by a--.quest.dner “What, has Reform dene fbr the country, if, after 16 years iliey can give us only soup - kitchens P” One need not be possessed of arty great irnaginative power to fierceive Mr. Lysnar floundering—as le so often does in the House—for analytical power to grasp the situation. Having recovered sufficiently he proceeds to show what Reform hits done and accepts credit for the “all weather” highway from Gisborne: to Napier. Surely Mr. Lysnar cannot be so fatuous as to suppose any one Government can claim; credit -for this ? W hy, Siiy that high-

way is an economic necessity and irtodern-means of, locomotion compels this attention from any Government. Finally, he concludes by saying “didn’t we spend £83,009,000 on the war which saved,us and civilisation?” One need not elaborate upon the here distinctive word “Us,” for, assuredly, Mr. Lysnar is speaking of his frierids." the associated banks, insurances, breweries. combines, .etc., etc., who. during and since the war, have become richer, while the ; pppr have become poorer. The £83,000,000 is an established fact, but, personally, I cannot make it square with Mr. Lysnar’s national, debt of £240.000. However, I prefer to believe that Mr Lysnar was flurried and, like the Government’s botch of a forest at Taupo, made a slip of the tongue—not infrequent to our honorable member. W hat lam not-clear about is the civilisation that was saved. Perhaps Mr., Lvsnar’s warped vision of the Labor Party is still out Of ‘•‘plumb” and sees this civilisation under Reform. 'New Zealand with a population, of one and one half millions has 30,000 approximately living opj the, border line of semi-destitu-tion “and starvation, ■ whi’e 524 companies (operating in 1026 amass net profits-of 25} millions. In Hamilton recently, 16 people were discovered living in a four roomed house; anc many even worse cases are frequency reported. We see 1000 people fail every year m the struggle to exist on the land and many more walk off their farms owing to “inflated land values.” On- hospitals in the four main centres, which care for the mentally afflicted, are full to overflowing. Much, of this could be prevented, but it is permitted in our glorious scheme of civilisation, which £86,000,000 saved. Civilisation forsooth, in Great Britain, in 1926, 1290 British miners were killed and 200,0ut) seriously injured while, at the same time, (the Marquis of Bute draws £160,000 and the Duke of Northumberland £75,000 from royalties. £50.000,000 was taken in profit from the industry for the three years ending 1926 and yet England always has the spectre of an army of 1)500,000 unemployed much ,of which is . preventible. The war was responsible ' for revealing in Great Bri r xn’xi that, out of every 9 men examined three were fit for service 2'more or less-’ unfit, .'4 represented'-wreck-age, some of it honeless, most of it preventib’e. In other words, 64 per cent of Britain’s manhood was unfit. Mr. Lysnar may well boast of our civilisation and the saving of it if after 2000' years of Christianity, -fol-iogingt-the meek and lowly Jesus, he or his party can offer us nothing better for' settling international disputes than drenches of human blood. PJ,f blood be the price: of our freedom. Great God. we have naid in full.” If anything I' have stated portrays the civilisation-Mr. Lvsnar views, ilien it has been dearly bought and still to bo paid for, as witness the figures r.eyealed hi-‘the French Statistical Sobietv—Killed in. the late war. France T in 26: Germany 1 in 25: Austria ] in 50; Britain 1 in 66; Italy 1 in 79; Russia 1 in 107 : America 1 in 2000. These are only a few of the many

things Reform has done to “save us and civilisation” and may we. in oiliabundant generosity, recognise their works and reoav them for it on the ' 14th., by sending them back through the avenues of time that thev may review their handiwork and so prepare themselves for the judgment that is to come and. while they are so engaged seeking absolution, a new and better party will manipulate the pulsating lever of Destiny ushering in a. brighter and better form of civilisation that will not require £83.000,000 to save us from.— l am, yours etP ” TOLERANCE.