MONEY AND VALUE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22853, 7 October 1937, Page 15

MONEY AND VALUE

Sir—Just recently our Minister of | Finance has stressed the advantage of spending our money, but onlj « get value for it. How docs tlie money spent on the trips abroad of our Labour Ministers comply with this condition? What value lias been obtained for the £6OOO spent on the 1 nine Minister's expedition to London? Of course the Prime Minister may have got value; but have wo who put up the money got value? Our politicians shout "A pound's a pound for a' that," and then "lead the world" in the realm of finance showing how wealth is created by writing figures in books or .printing pictures and a few words on bits of paper. Thereby they attract tho eves of the world and advertise ISew Zealand as the leader of less courageous and less able folk. Of course tlm world watches and applauds. Do we not ourselves regard in like manner the prayerful Mr. Aberhart and in our innermost souls praise God for sending him to Alberta and not to ISew Zealand! By all means let that suffering country pay for these fool tricks in finance. Will its experience not warn and save us? Many had hoped that, the great expense or these tours would bo justified by an improvement in our rulers after meeting and conferring with the brains of the world. But, no Ail that impressed itself on their minds was that statesmen in New Zealand are just as capable as statesmen in England. Indeed, they know everything—without having learned anything. How "The Old Lady of 1 hreadneedle Street" must have inwardly chuckled as her grandsons (so successful in their own affairs) taught her the most up-to-the-minute methods of extracting the meat out of eggs by the newest principles of suction. E. Earlb VAILB.