JUVENILE FOOTWEAR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25301, 11 August 1943, Page 4

JUVENILE FOOTWEAR

Sir,—lf the result of the Governments policy of import restriction had not been so inimical to the interests of the general public the statement made by the Minister of Supply, Mr D. G. Sullivan, on the subject of the importation of juvenile footwear would be amusing as a good sample of how to hoodwink the public. The wonderful Labour Government, which takes so much credit for looking after the interests of the people of this country, should be truthful and admit, as most people know now, that its whole policy was one of self-interest. In other words, the Government did not work for the people but for itself. The policy was intended to make New Zealand self-sup-porting, thereby increasing the number of factory workers who depend on union wages, which the Government, in collaboration with the union officials, could gradually increase. Such a policy, the Government hoped, would buy votes and keep it in office. The effect of the policy on the bodv of the people was not the Governments concern in 1938-39. Many protests were made by those with knowledge of the inability of New Zealand footwear manufacturers to make the juvenile footwear referred to, but it was only last year that these protests began to sink into the heads of those dictating to the merchants as to how they should run their businesses. As late as the issue of the sixth-period licences, the Government granted only 50 per cent, of the 1938 imports, and only increased the allocation when it was realised that the position regarding children’s footwear was really acute. Had the Government heeded the early protest, this country would have had ample stocks bought long before, prices rose and at a period when Britain could have supplied us without seriously affecting its own people’s needs. Now it appears we are asking Britain to help us at the expense of her own population. Such is the wonderful efficiency of the Labour Government, whose methods might well be described as the cult of the incompetent.—l am, etc., Dunedin, August 7. Britisher.