“THE BIG STICK”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27043, 30 March 1949, Page 6

“THE BIG STICK”

Sir,—May I be permitted to pass some comments on the editorial which appeared in your issue of March 25? I would state that I was not impressed with your effort to state a factual case; it appeared to be rather an extravagant attempt to damn the Government’s Price Tribunal control lock, stock, and barrel, inasmuch as you did not produce even one statistical proof of your many rather wild and extravagant assertions against it. Of course, any editor can use his space to make these general and sweeping denunciations against a Government department, if he so chooses, but they do not impress their many critical readers unless they make some logical effort to prove their case with statistical data, and this you have utterly failed to do on this occasion. Therefore, your bald assertions only require an equally bald refutation, and this I gladly give, here and now. I would state unhesitatingly that the Price Tribunal is doing good work in keeping prices down to reasonable levels for the general good, much more so than the Tories care to admit, hence this clamour against it. These controls are here to stay, we hope, in spite of this Tory agitation against them; the controls will, no doubt, be eased and adjusted as occasion demands. The cosition in the United States was tragic some two years ago, when their controls were removed, and they were compelled to replace them acain to save them from economic chaos. The workers hope New Zealand will retain controls.—l am, etc., Worker. [Abridged.—Ed. ODT.J