LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24971, 14 August 1944, Page 2

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Censorship Case Sir, —I am sure that all who vnjue the freedom of the press and of free speech will rejoice at the Supreme Court's decision in the Billens ease and would thank you for your leader on the subject, which was most timely and to the'point The rejoicing, however, must not be premature, as the Government, which is obviously annoyed about it, will probably introduce legislation to correct the decision and make it retrospective A.S.A. Removing Controls

Sir—Mr R. M. Algie, M.P., is reported to have said of the last war: "The principle of private enterprise w,ns accepted, and after tho war bureaucratic control and State interference were literally swept out of England on a gust of public opinion." Sir Leo Chizza Money, whoso experience in the last war makes his statements of value, says in an article in the Contemporary Review: "At the close of the war a people who had been narrowly saved from disaster by national organisation was persuaded that it was and ruined by officialdom. The Government seized every opportunity of setting private enterprise free trom control. Some very unfortunate steps were taken in decontrolling material and food supplies of importance. When wool was decontrolled and a Wool Profiteering Committee set up, the general public, in the words of tho committee's report, 'was left with no protection whatever. Australian wool, which in July, 1911, fetched 30d per pound, soared in December, 1019, In 1 "tOr 1. •'lt had been impressed upon the public that only decontrol could give the nation the beneficent action ot commercialism; prices would certainly come down, the nation was told. In practice prices rose nil round, and in almost, every case where, decontrol occurred the public had to pay heavily."

KLIZA lIKTH M ACM 11, LAN Scheme to Help Mothers

Sir,—From time to time the cry is rightly sounded for more New Zealand babies. Kroin among tho largely inarticulate mass of those most nearly concerned, the mothers, one or two arc stung into protesting that even two or three small children mean to an unaided mother, who is conscientious in the matters of correct feeding and hygiene, at least a 1-1-hour day over a seven-day week. Most mothers upo too weary to put a protest into writing, as very few constitutions are sufficiently robust to stand a 100-hour week for a matter of years on end without showing definite signs of deterioration. As a mother of three small children with no help, 1 speak with knowledge. Tliese three children show, mentally and physically, every promise of being a definite asset to the nation. I have enjoyed having them and would gladly increase the number by two or three, as I know would also many other mothers of equally desirable children. But who can blame us if we hesitate to jeopardise further our health, and, through that, the well-being of our existing tniriilies, by working impossible hours indefinitely ?

Tho problem of domestic help is largely one of finance. Tho host typo of girl is deterred, quite understandably, from considering this work by the fact that she can earn at other work far more than tho average family can afford to pay for help. 1 suggest a scheme which might solve the problem. It has been proved repeatedly in wartime that girls with no previous experience can become, in six months of intensive training, proficient at many jobs. Girls could be given training in cooking, general housecraft, sowing and the care of small children. A girl well trained on these linos could civo invaluable assistance to a mother. If she were paid in part by her employer and subsidised from Social Security funds to bring her earnings to a level comparable with those of other workers the financial difficulties would disappear on both sides. With hours and wages standardised and both reasonable, 1 think there would he abundant volunteers for the work, which should prove much more pleasant and varied than many other jobs. Does anyone feci that the problem is sufficiently vital to make an active move toward the immediate inauguration of such a scheme? With some encouragement 1 and many other young mothers are only too willing to do our part. J.B.