LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24690, 16 September 1943, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Licensing Reform Sir, —Mr. S. G. Holland, Leader of the National Party, has publicly stated that if his party is returned as the Government at the coming elections he will drastically overhaul the liquor laws —a thing very much overdue. Mr. Holland is the first man in New Zealand, as the head of a party, who has ever had the courage to stand up and say that he is going to tackle this problem. If these men who have been criticising the licensing trade are sincere, let them arraign themselves behind Mr. Holland and so assure that he is given the chance to carry out this much-needed reform. No Compromise. Gestapo Methods Sir, —The National candidates have been gloating over these words as a succulent morsel to tickle the palates of their unthinking audiences. Mrs. Dreaver said that some civil servants were trying to sabotage the Government and that they would be sacked. Quite right. Would any employer keep an employee who was working against his business? That many of. the civil servants are working against their employer—the Government —is shown by the number of people who have to approach their local M.P. to get those benefits to which they are entitled, and which they were denied by some civil servant with the object of turning them against the Government, R. J. Hot The Youth Scheme Sir, —I have noticed that the Government candidates have carefully avoided any mention of the youth scheme sponsored by the Hon. W. E. Parry. I have waited patiently in the hope that some member of the Council of Christian Congregations would take up this controversial matter, and demand a clear-cut statement from the department concerned, but so far they appear too timorous to do so. I was amazed a short time ago to learn that the scheme sponsored by the Government is almost identical with Hitler's famous youth movement, and I should imagine its ramifications will be as far-reaching. Manngaturoto. Arthur S. Flower. Shirt Fabrics Sir. —Mr. Sullivan's explanation of the shirting incident is about as thin as the material he is trying to explain away. His analogy is even thinner. "If the housewife orders cream and skim milk is left, is the housewife to blame ?" says he. Surely not, but the housewife does not have an elaborate and expensive purchasing commission at the source of supply. In Washington" we have a staff, including vigorous young men expert in this line, one of whose duties is to ensure not only that contracts are placed, but that inferior merchandise is not sent us. Surely, with a shipment of this magnitude, inspection should have been arranged before shipment. In the meantime, we are "carrying the baby," and Mr. Sullivan c\oes not enlighten us as to wliat he suggests doing about it. Presumably, the long-suffering women of New Zealand are to be condemned by Government ineptitude to try to keep in repair shoddy material. Double Bee. The Housing Problem Sir, —Election time is the silly season. Perhaps that explains the amazing nonsense that is being talked about house-building. If the position be as the politicians portray it there is a clearer case for confiscation of houseroom than for taking land. Building has. itself, more to do with creating a house shortage than most people think, since increased building means more carpenters, tinsmiths, plumbers, etc., who all need house-room. In 1901 there were 4.9 persons to each private dwelling in New Zealand. By 1936. one house existed for every 4.2 New Zealanders. Since then the position has greatly improved, as increased building has greatly outstripped increase of population. Yet it is seriously proposed to add 72,000 houses, costing about £ISOO each, a total of £100,000,000. Such a programme, if to. he of any uso in connection with rehabilitation, would multiply several times the oneseventh of the gainfully employed who are engaged in building and would accentuate the housing shortage. Unless the £100,000,000 that it is proposed to spend on adding one house to every three in the towns —there will be no need for rural houses; farm workers will be in the cities building houses —is to be spread over so many years that it would be useless for rehabilitation purposes, house-building offers abundant hope of a slump that will make that of the thirties insignificant.. A. E.. Robinson.