MOLLY CODDLES?

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 39, 21 February 1929, Page 3

MOLLY CODDLES?

STATE AS FATHER CHRISTMAS, s TREND OF THE TIMES. “Are we becoming a race of molly coddles F v This was tho question asked by the president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, Mr H. T. Merritt, in his annual address. Mr Merritt wa 9 referring to the large increase in the number of persons employed in State Departments, which, he said, was largely due to the increasing demand of the public upon the State for social services, etc.

“The State,” he continued, “is expected to provide economic utilities that could properly be done by organised capitalistic . exploitation, also to act as a huge pawnbroker for the people, to build their houses at less than cost, to lend money at lower rates than the market price at capital, to provide .free school books,, dentists, doctors, lawyers, and generally to act as a Father Christmas all the year round. We must get back to the old idea of work and personal responsibility and grasp in our bands once more those outstanding and commendable qualities of sturdy self-reliance and independence. AVc must also appeal to Ibo Government to go extensively into the question of costs and to cut out anything that is superfluous or unnecessary. Only in this way can taxation be reduced. A reduction to-day is one of tho most vital needs of industry.” I