RECRUITING MEETINGS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17098, 22 February 1916, Page 8

RECRUITING MEETINGS.

TO THE EIHTOU. Sir, —Persons who arc responsible for getting speakers to address recruiting meetings should bo careful whom they choose. If they choose men who give .speeches like Mr M'Co mbs delivered nt Sumner they will do more injury .to recruiting than good. His speech was practically political from start to finish, “ town versus country.” He insinuated that the country people made £‘18,000,000 war profit last-' year, because £0,000.000 was the difference in value between exports and imports. 1 would like to know how he arrives at that finality.. When he does get- on to a proper basis of war profits he will have to subtract the extra freight charges on most lines. He will also have to allow for the depreciation of Now Zealand's capital through the slaughter of young ewes and heifers, also allow for the. extra cost of labour and all things necessary to make production. a'so allow middleman's profit, it" Mr M'Combs* wants to tax the wool man how would he fare with the man who made 3s per ewe on the wool and lost 6s per ewe on the lamb through the drought? If Mr M' Co mbs wants to get at war nrofits and make every man in New Zealand do his hit for the protection lm» gets let him urge the Government to tax everyone on his income, starting with £IOO a year or lower, with Jrl in the £. and keep graduating the tax as the income rises till he gets to 10s in the £ on. £.6000 a. year. Then he is sure of getting at the war profits without penalising any person. As regards taxing “community erected values.” I wish to inform him that, in mast eases in New Zealand he should alter the term to “hard-earned increment." If “ community created values ” is a right term then land in London ought to he about 6.000.000 times the value of land in Christchurch. A rise, in price of, land is only a hindrance to the legitimate farmer, but it suits the illegitimate fanner, whom Mr W'Combs ought to try to extinguish. Agricultural land from a producer’s point of view was more valuable to him twenty years ago than it is to-day. In conclusion Mr M’Combs would be well advised not. to attempt Germanising New Zealand with his style of polities, as it is the worst way of getting recruits from country districts. — 1 am. etc., RECRUITER.