THE REHABILITATION FUND.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 307, 11 December 1931, Page 8

THE REHABILITATION FUND.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —In your leading article on the above subject in Tuesday’s issue, you very rightly drew pointed attention to some comments made by the Associated Chambers of Commerce on the Earthquake Relief Bill, then before the House. You quoted these comments, which are as follow: — “In Hawke’s Bay, on February 3, a large number of people were ruined in a few minutes by a sudden act of God. Throughout New Zealand thousands of people have been equally ruined, but instead of being killed by one quick shot from Nature’s artillery, they have, as slowly, but as surely, been choked to death by economic pressure. Why, therefore, should special consideration be extended to the sufferers from the earthquake of February 3, and bedenied to equally deserving sufferers from the national calamity of the slump in primary and secondary products? Government assistance to sufferers by the earthquake should be by way of loau only. This method would be of advantage not only to the sufferers themselves, but to the whole community. The cost of providing this assistance by wa.v of loan will be the difference between the cost of such loan to the Government and the interest charge made to the sufferers and such difference should be provided ultimately out of the Consolidated Fund.” Commerce has often been described as a “soulless thing.” It is always a mistake, and often an unkind one, to generalise from individual cases, but there are no doubt instances when the accusation would be justified, and this appears to bo one. It is perhaps pertinent to point out that commerce must sometimes take at least a portion of the blame for economic pressure. There is an American maxim, not a good one, “Buy in the cheapest, sell in the dearest, market.” There is no good conscience clause in this, that I can see. To obtain the largest amount of profit both producer at . the one end and the customer at the other end, may be choked to death by economic pressure. The Government is more merciful than the Associated Chambers would be, insofar as it can. It is endeavouring to relieve the economic pressure, so that none will be choken to death. And it must not be overlooked that some of the economic pressure may be due to our own follies or mistakes. Quite apart from the earthquake the economic pressure was as much felt in this district as anywhere else. Yet we Iffive to bear our share of relieving the pressure elsewhere as well as here, up to the full extent of our ability to do so. The Associated Chambers of Commerce would apparently refrain from relieving Buffering because the sufferer would bt likely to die anyhow, and perahps their attitude towards poverty would be that it is ap incurable disease, and that it would be cheaper and more humane to l«t a lot of the people die now, rather than try and save them from starvation It is a good thing that all members of Chambers of Commerce are not like the one who drew up tho resolution quoted. He may have been a philanthropist travelling incog., I mean in the cogs of the wheels of industry and commerce, and may have had all the sympathy and humanity squeezed out of him. He should be presented with a badge, bearing an appropriate mottor, “Self before service” or “Apathy before Sympathy,” so that we might accord him due honour when we see him. It is to be hoped however that the rehabilitation of the earthquake-stricken area will not be carried out in the callous way suggested by the Associated Chambers of Commerce. —I am, etc., HUMANITY. Napier, 10/11/31.