CONTROL OF EXCHANGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21069, 31 December 1931, Page 10

CONTROL OF EXCHANGE.

Sir, —Mr. J. S. Montgoineric mentions a few social services which lie seems to think are better administered by public control than by private enterprise. He can rest assured that any "Freedom League" will not interfere with anythif g it finds so administered. Is he satisfied with the conduct of the State coal mines, the State Land Department, the Advances to Workers Department, or the New Zealand Railways Department while under Government control? Would he like the control of our shipping to be a Government business? Does he want such scandals as are reported in Wednesday's Her alt; from New South Wales to spread to New Zealand? Mr. Bavin there states "the Government was deliberately spending £2.000.000 on the railway service by refusing to apply Federal awards lo the service." And, again, "By declining to allow the Salaries Reduction Act to apply to the. Lithgow miners, in order to give a political bribe to his own supporters, .Mr. Lang has cost the State £38.000." Would he like Russian methods of control of the individual from the cradle to the grave—with all its appalling misery and suffering—to be established here ? Does he approve of the "control of oxchange" so far as the plan has been made public? Unless he can answer these questions in the affirmative, I would ask him not to oppose the endeavour to preserve so much of our freedom as remains, but which I fear is being undermined by every extension of socialistic legislation. The Rent Restriction Act was introduced as a war measure, but successive Governments have kept it alive, with its inevitably mischievous consequences. '1 he 50.000 unemployed cannot be charged to a failure of private enterprise. The unemployed are one effect of the world depression, which is practically universal. 231, Parnell Road. ,T. Thoknes.