LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24758, 4 December 1943, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Pollard and Poultry Sir, —The small householders living; in the suburbs or country districts who try to help out the family rations by keeping a few hens have just had a fresh shock.. We are told, when we go to our grocer for our usual bushel of pollard, that "it has been decided" that only those with 25 birds or over and who have registered (more half-crowns to the Government) may he supplied with pollard, and that direct from the mills. This means wo who are least able are driven to buying the higherpriced stockmeal. Why this further penalisation of the poor? Poll Altdkd Pensioner. Our Representation at Conferences Sir, —Your point is well made that New Zealand has such an interest in the war .in the Pacific and the peace terms that we should have been represented directly at the "China" conferonce instead of leaving the task to the already over-burdened Mr. Churchill. But what is to be our status at such conferences? Is it to be that of a young warrior nation, or of vegetable-growers and peasants? It is as a fighter that the New Zealander excels and it is as a soldier, sailor or airman that ho should take his place in the battle for freedom. Through him we earn the right to he heard. It is no answer that the number of men Now Zealand can put in the field is a mere bagatelle compared with that of the larger nations. Quality'is the deciding factor. And when we have put our all in the field in this fight for our very existence, there will still he enough left; to grow vegetables and to farm. When New Zealand was thoroughly scared last year we were able to maintain five divisions in the Army alone, plus the equivalent of many more in the Rome Guard. Manpower. The Jig-saw Sir, —The members of the British newspaper delegation did not hesitate to suggest that we were drifting into a very dangerous position as regards manpower and production. We should pay some attention to their views. We seem to be approaching a curious and formidable crisis. We are maintaining two army divisions abroad. We contribute in manpower to our air and sea forces a very high quota. We are, in short, as our visiting friends pointed out, unbalanced. Production is falling. As it falls, prices increase and as prices increase, the demands for higher and yet higher wages follow and not without good reason. To make matters more difficult, the purchasing power of the pound is steadily declining. The socalled vicious spiral is operating. The remedy is clear. Production must he increased. Yet we have a private war between the manpower authorities who want men and the forces who hold the men and will not release them. These two sides bombard one another with reasons either good or bad, Fortified with red-tape they seem to be impregnable. Neither will give way. Nothing is accomplished. There seems to be only one remedy. If the Government could be persuaded to appoint a, number of email commissions of practical, common-sense business men to visit the camps all over the country with full powers to release immediately and hand over to the manpower officers such men as are not doing useful military service, an immense pool would be at once available for productive measures. It is common knowledge that there are thousands of men, and women, too, who are eating their heads off in camp and performing 110 useful service. 1 have heard it said, repeatedly, that there are thousands of men in camp who never will be wanted for active military service. During the South African War the city of Durban was literally packed with hordes of useless generals and staff officers who crowded every hotel and other place of accommodation. The conditions were a public scandal. Into the midst of this vortex there one day stalked the imposing figure of Lord Kitchener. He laterally "herded" the mob. In the course of a very few days they were effectively dispersed. Here was a case of a strong man armed with power to act. That is the only method by which we can hope to get a "clean-up" of the chaotic conditions which exist' in New Zealand. The present Manpower Minister is not a strong man. Neither has he an axe, nor, I think, would he wield one if he had it. Ngongotaha. F. M. B. Fxshki.