CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24594, 30 April 1941, Page 5

CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE

“Not Wool Blind,” writing from Miller's Flat, says the shortcomings of the - Government’s land policy make interesting redding.' From information supplied in earlier correspondence on the. subject it appears that the Lands Department has failed to give a satisfactory reply to the allegation that land aggregation is being practised. It would be interesting to hear Mr Nordmeyer’s views on this specific case, his voluble outpourings bn “ land grabbing’’are notorious. Is he. in this instance, “putting the telescope to his blind' eye? ” Peter Weaver, writing from Earnsr cleugh. said that having, on the even-

ing of April 24, tuned into a station in London in the 19-metre band, he heard the announcer Say that she was going to send thanks to a Mr Miller, of Timaru, New Zealand, who had sent some articles to England to the Distress Fund, and who asked if someone who was listening would pass on word to Mr Miller that the articles were received with thanks and had been put into service as he had wished. “New Zealander,” writing from Oamaru. comments that if the Union Jack ceased to fly over New Zealand there would be no more need to offer fantastic wages and other bribes for votes. Everyone would be a vassal of the State, and fear would dominate everything The most recent instance .of this bribery is ihe scheme of medical control Are the people not being threatened if., they 'dare dispute what is. being done? A few years ago .we would have'said such a thing under the flag ..was impossible, but here we have it under a Socialist Government which is gradually releasing the soft pedal. “ Efficiency ” complains that the Dominion allows its paid Ministers to pass over the governing of our country to a lot of self-seeking, ignorant secretaries. Would any reputable financier allow power to be passed on from one lot of incompetents to another without authority from ■ those who meet the expense? Yet we, a supposedly sane and intelligent people, calmly stand by and allow it. A Parliament composed of women would have done infinitely better work by accenting the help of anyone who could help, and would never be cowardly enough to submit to the slavedom of any union ‘in New Zealand. . '

“Jonah the Moaner.” complaining of (ho programmes provided by the radio stations, says, it is no good using the weather-worn, argument of "Why not turn on to another, station? ” because orie is as bad as another—all under Government supervision. One; often thinks back to the good old days when a really decent; programme was supplied by the privately-owned stations, arid didn’t mind paying the highest tax in the world for [his privilege, but how that the Government, with its dictatorial powers, tells us what we have to listen to. it reminds one of Germany. He would gladly pay his licence fee to keep r Fred and Maggie ” and the “ Easy Aces " off the air. “ Real Freedom ” asserts that, if

“John Gilpin” has lived in New Zealand for even one month and has any powers of observation he must know that, short ,of entering our houses and taking charge of our culinary affairs, we have little liberty left us. We may grow fruit and farm produce, we may feed and look after, poultry, and then we are told we have no, more to do with them, and must accept whatever price our freedom-loving Government feels inclined to. give for them. Not for the advantage of poor citizens, ;for while their health deteriorates for want of it, this producers left in cool stores until it is unfit lor consumption and then, to prevent an epidemic, more , money is spent on burying it. E|gs are hidden somewhere until they are more than “bad in parts.” Under former conditions these bad ones were replaced by the grocers, but now we are told the poultrykeepers have nothing to do with .it. for it is-the fatherly Government’s affair, and so we get no replacements. We cannot choose whom we would employ 1 however-well we pay them; we cannot choose our employers however well we are pleased with each other. We are told we must take any doctor who will miraculously find time to attend to us, and the price of so-called free hospital medicines is already raised.