WAGES AND PRODUCTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27447, 21 July 1950, Page 8

WAGES AND PRODUCTION

Sir,—” Yeoman " has missed the point of my argument. It is, of course, undeniable that the people of New Zealand as a whole cannot consume more than they produce; but the distribution of that production may be at fault. If four-fifths of the community can earn titles to only a little more than half th* annual production while the other fifth can acquire the remainder, leaving them with a surplus that enables them to live in luxury, then it seems to me that the Federation of Labour has' legitimate cause to press for part of that surplu* on behalf of the workers of all grades. Mr W. N. Perry’s attitude on thl* question is no doubt based upon the present position and to that extent may be realistic; but it is neither logical nor just. Both he and “Yeoman” contend that the only way to Increase our average standard of living is for the workers to produce more. It is just a variation of the familiar argument of the feeding of pigs in a trough: some get far too much, others far too little: and if more and more swill is added the undernourished pigs may have a chance to get more when the greedy ones have reached bursting point. May 1 point out to “ Yeoman ” that to question practices or institutions that have been sanctioned by long usage is not necessarily a mark of Communism. If he really thinks it is then he is paying a tribute to that credo which its merit* may hardly deserve.—l am, etc., Rattar.