THE BIBLE AND ECONOMICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21926, 9 October 1934, Page 13

THE BIBLE AND ECONOMICS

Sir, —I have no intention of entering upon a controversy 011 this siubject, partly because 1 do not think it is practicable to teach economics or anything else by quotations and short letters, but I have a passion for two things i.ll life, above all others, the one being justice, and the other individual liberty, and 1 know of 110 finer source of knowledge and inspiration for ,tho;Be things than in the Bible. Jusb now, there is a great deal of moral fervour being expended upon a campaign for monetary reform, and, while the Bible has much to say about money, it does not begin there. The Bible begins at the beginning: "In the .>e^ilining God created the heaven and the earth," Genesis i., 1. I agree with tho whole of "Accountant's" letter, except his assertion that 1 have "overlooked" something. Plainly, according to the Bible, the earth is the gift of the Creator, and in this connection I agree 'with the pertinent letter from Mr. Arthur AVarburton that tho word •"create" does not mean to make something out of nothing. I would apply tho teaching in this way: A certain earthly father built three houses, and in his will left them to his three sons, for use, and not for sale. To make a just division of the houses, which were of varying worth, the eldest son agreed to pay an annual rental of £l5O for tho best house, the second son offered £IOO for the house of second quality, and the third £SO for the poorest building. They pooled this rental, and at the end of the year divided up the total equally, £IOO each. My view is that the whole of the ground rentals (not on improvements) should, be paid into the public exchequer, sinco there are no land rentals where there are no community services, no social progress, and 110 law and order, tho land, rentals being the measure of the value these things. This fund would be used for all public purposes, and all local rates and national taxes entirely abolished. Now this is my last letter on the subject, and any who wish to pursue it may do so by reading on their own account. One thing will become clear in any long view, uamelv, that no policy which ii 3 ethically wrong can be economically righi;, and as with Christian! peoples, ethics depend for their vitality., for their "aliveness," if I may take liberties with the language, upon the teachings of thp Bible, there we must go for both ethics and economics, but —do begin at the beginning—the dust l Matamata. T. E. McMillan.