‘PREFERENCE.”

Southland Times, Issue 20206, 17 June 1927, Page 9

‘PREFERENCE.”

To the Editor. Sir, —In Wednesday’s Times you attack my letter in that issue on “Proper Prefer- ‘ ence.” You say that some weeks ago I was j informed that the United States was one in- ’ stance of a country becoming prosperous i through the development of a home mar- | ket. Now, Sir, merely saying that such is such !is not proving your argument. You must not confuse a secondary industry with an export market and a secondary industry without an export market and which is dependent for its existence from the preference shown it by the primary industry who has an export market. Now, Sir, we in New Zealand are dependent entirely on our export market, it’s the only channel that money conies into the country, except by borrowing so it seems a peculiar reasoning to me to say that if we consume more of our exports that we would be better off in effect that is what you say. Now, Sir, the point I make is that we are a borrowing nation, and we must trade outside of ourselves borrowing money from outside to trade within ourselves is a fallacy. And will never help us to meet our obligations to our creditors. If you can crack that nut, Sir, I’ll throw in the towel. Again, Sir, you say there is the important fact that while protection is in force the man who buys imported goods in preference to New Zealand is perpetuating that burden by not providing the development of local industries. My answer is a law that takes something out of one man’s pocket to give to another has no moral right to exist. The trouble is with our industries is too many blue blooded Lords and Dukes that has to be supported. Just take the Duke of the Sawmill Workers’ Union and the Lord of the Carpenters’ Union, both getting £7OO a year each, both big enough to scratch for themselvs, but won’t do so for fear they might beat someone for a job scratching for them. In conclusion, Sir, I would ask you to keep to New Zealand what we want is to put our own house in order. It’s a peculiar thing to me that you should always be drumming into me the need of improving my stock by scientific culling and breeding. And here you are for everlasting with a finger pointing to a nation of purebred mongrels. Blue, black and brindles, if you could yard them up in the Wallacetown saleyards Jack McDonald would class them as a dealer’s mob, very hard to quit.—l am, etc., SLIM JIM.