LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25052, 16 November 1944, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Just Shaw Sir,—The Bernard Shaw interview is Shaw at his best. Ho would give Hitler a palatial residence and £20,000 a year. Reading as usual in reverse, Shaw just means a residence in the Tower Traitor's Gate, and payment of £20,000 a year from plunder, with Hitler's creatures enjoying like privileges. In true, Shavian spirit, one of his characters says: "You must not suppose because I am a man of letters 1 have never tried to earn an honest living." Pkrcy Lindley. Homeless People

Sir, —The present Government lias a house building programme only for such people as are earning high wages. Hundreds of people throughout New Zealand have saved up from £750 to £IOOO to build their own homes, and have chosen sections and localities which suit them. These thrifty people find themselves living in all sorts ol tumble-down shacks owing to the high cost of wages and materials. This is the class of people to be considered. Let private enterprise have a chance to help these homeless people. I would suggest granting a subsidy on carpenters' wages and removing the sales tax from timber. Then the people could go straight ahead. Lead, Kindly Light. Feeding the Soil and .the Fishes Sir, —Will someone kindly inform the public why the Government is so interested in boosting the sale of superphosphate? For years the sale has been subsidised, while other fertilisers have to struggle for recognition. The result, especially in the Waikato, has been a flush of grass, but the grass apparently lacks some essential, as witness the spread of mammitis and abortion, and the work entailed in treating the cream for butter-making. Faulkner in "Plowmans Folly" proves that this is because the land already has enough minerals, but needs humus and organic manures. Now the Government proposes to "try it on the fishes." The result will be bigger fish of poorer stamina and with less value for liuinan consumption. Wants to Know. Local Government

Sir, —The total area of our four chief centres, not including the suburbs, of course, is just 60 square miles, and the unimproved value is £60,000,000. In other words, were all the improvements to become non-existent the site value alone of the four cities is high enough to make 60 millionaires! According to the latest Year Book, the value of land in counties is 50.7 per cent of the total capital value and 60.3 per cent of the total unimproved value, while 49.3 per cent and 39.7 per cent represent respectively the capital and unimproved value of the boroughs and town districts. When we remember the comparatively insignificant area of the boroughs as compared with the counties, we realise how much greater is the value of land where population is greatest. Statistics can never tell the whole truth, however, since there is contiguous to every centre a largo area really suburban, though for purposes of the statistics it is reckoned as rural land. Waiteniata and Manukau Counties illustrate this fact for Auckland.

At the Municipal Conference held recently in Wellington there was so much talk about rates and ratepayers that non-ratepaying citizens, who comprise the majority of municipal electors, did not appear to count, and so. with a reckless disregard for the actual situation, these gentlemen cheerfully proposed to abolish the hospital rate, thus relieving the richest of their constituents at the expense of renVpayers and "roomers" who are the great majority. The foregoing figures will give some idea of the extent of the imposition proposed, and it is well to recall the fact that the TU, Hon. G. J. Goschcn, Chancellor of the Exchequer in the first Salisbury (Conservative) Government, defined rates as "a rent-charge in favour of the community." Wo must see to it that the obscurantists arc not allowed to have tilings their own way when the Parliamentary committee on local government is taking evidence. Sound Finance,