LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24423, 5 November 1942, Page 2

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Plea for Hairdressers Sir, —In view of the dearth of men's hairdressers throughout New Zealand, I think anyone who has experienced the time and trouble it is to get one's locks shorn will agree that it is it became an essential trade. Every ballot takes more hairdressers and every shop (with few exceptionsj is shortstaffed. In view of the fact that it is about the only trade mentioned in Army routine orders, and that there are thousands of men in uniform who cannot get attended to in their camps and bases, it would be a Godsend if the tradesmen that are left could remain in their jobs and shops. Khaki. Cricket and Baseball Sir.—During the cricket in the Domain on Saturday I was sitting with some visitins servicemen. Some were plainly bored; some were interested, but could not understand the game. Some expressed the opinion that the average baseball player could make a better showing at the batting and bowling. or pitching as they called it. I would therefore suggest to the captains of the teams that at the close of the games they invite some of the visitors to try their hand at the batting and bowling and give them some idea of the game. YTho knows but there may be some good cricketers among them. A Lovpp. op Cp.icket. The Atlantic Charter Sir, —Your correspondent, Mr. G. Henry, is quite right. Free trade is provided for in the Atlantic Charter. But why blame the industrial captains and kings for the present impasse in the matter of international trade? The workers of every country —the majority of the people—could have had free trade had they so desired, and used their united strength to bring it about. In New Zealand we have a Labour Government fearlessly carrying out a protectionist policy. I am not surprised at the workers supporting protection. Listen to the slogans: "New Zealand for the New Zealanders." "Keep the money in your own country," "Protection keeps down unemployment." "Keep out goods produced by sweated labour," "Encourage your primary and secondary industries." This is the bunch of economic carrots held out to lure the working donkey toward the protectionist heaven. And the worker follows this economic will-o'-the-wisp with unswerving fidelitv.

No country in the world (owing to its isolated position) has suffered so much from protection as New Zealand. And no country in the world would benefit so much from free trade. The Atlantic Charter is long overdue. Herbert Mulvihill. Wartime Profits Sir, —I quite agree with Mr. Cameron | thai bureaucratic regulations only tend I to kill individual initiative; but the reason which prompted mv letter was the fact that I contend that the Government have not carried out the proclamation they made at the beginning of the war that nobody would be allowed to make any extra profit because of it. They have, by the Excess Profits Act. dealt with those in business, etc., on their own account, but they are not calling upon wage-earners to make equivalent sacrifices. Six tradesmen working as employees can now make, and many are making, double what they were getting before the war. Yet, had those same six individuals been progressive enough to band together and form a company, to-day their aggregate extra earnings would be subject to the excess profits tax. To my mind, this is neither fair, equitable, nor socialistic. If the Government were sincere in its proclamation, then now we should all be called upon to make equal sacrifice pro rata with our responsibilities. This would involve extra detail work, but I do not think it would be as cumbersome as Mr. Cameron suggests, because extra wages stamps representing a certain percentage of the weekly earnings over and . above the award j wages would cover the great majoritv of cases. My letter was rc-ailv a challenge to the Government to fulfil their wartime proclaimed policy. In spite of the tact that my suggestion is applicable to. and would be detrimental to. myself financially. I contend that anybody who gets exemption from the war because ot being employed in an essential industry (or because of disability), should not be better off financially than it they were serving in the armed forces. Alistee Bevin.