ELECTION AFTERTHOUGHTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27291, 18 January 1950, Page 6

ELECTION AFTERTHOUGHTS

Sir, —In reply to "Mark 8: 36,” I wish to say that taxation under the Labour Government was comparatively low when one thinks of all the social services that it provided for the people of this country. After all. it is the value that you get for your takes, not the amount that you pay, that matters. In reply to "Anti-Labour,” I wish to say that the Labour Government left the country in a far better state than it was when it found it, as it left no “ slave. camp ” for Mr Goosman to clean up. Furthermore, the National Government had no need to consider giving each unemployed person £1 to enable him or her to buy a few luxuries for Christmas, as there are no unemployed in this country at present. Before Labour came to power the age beneficiaries received 17s 6d a week and, owing to their having to pay at least 10s a week to their landlord, had .to get food from the relief depots and the second-hand clothing from the local hospital boards, which at that time exercised the ■ functions of charitable aid boards. Before Labour came to power men and women who were unfit to work through physical disability had either to exist on charity or work part-time for a farmer for their keep. Only persons who were totally blind received the miserable Tory invalid pension. There are no children today wearing sugar bag trousers and going about barefooted because their fathers cannot afford to buy trousers and shoes for them out of his relief wage of 30s a week. Every worker in this country is given a minimum wage of at least £5 10s per week.—l am, etc., Labourite.