PUBLIC OPINION

Taranaki Daily News, 13 September 1935, Page 7

PUBLIC OPINION

VIEWS ON CURRENT TOPICS MR. POLSON AND UNEMPLOYMENT. I NEED FOR IMPROVED POLICY. (To the Editor.) Sir,—Mr. W. J. Polson, M.P., in his address at Stratford on Tuesday last, stated that his reason for opposing the Labour Party’s proposal for an increased allocation of 10s per week for the registered x unemployed of the Dominion Was that such increase would have involved an additional expenditure of £1,590,000 per annum. He further stated that he con- . sidered that a different system of giving relief could have been devised, having as its objective the replacement of those out of work in their customary occupations. Mr. Polson, however, did not enlighten his audience as to the means he would have employed in order to bring about that desired result. As a Government supporter he must accept his share of responsibility for the treatment that has been meted out to the unemployed during the Coalition’s term of office. It is true that the Minister of Employment, the Hon. S. G. Smith, has hinted mysteriously at the prospect of the Government instituting an extensive scheme of major public works In the near fut- , ure, with the possibility of the absorption of thousands of unemployed men at standard rates of pay. Such an announcement, coming from a responsible Minister of the Crown, will be wel- . corned by all sections as indicating the upward trend of our finances. But to the thousands of men, women and children who have suffered the misery and degradation of long periods of unemployment, who have demanded nothing more than-the barest necessaries of life to tide them over their misfortune, promises are of little avail. The unemployed know full well that they have had to fight every inch of the way for the scanty privileges they receive to-day. z At first they had public opinion against them. But aS their plight assumed formidable proportions the fortunate sections of the community came to realise that their problem was a very real one, and not due to any lack of incentive on their part. In its fourth year of office, the Government stands condemned in the eyes of the country for its disregard of the Welfare of the workless. It instituted a scale of relief pay which everyone knows is altogether inadequate to provide decent food and shelter. The unemployed man who is unable to supplement his earnings by casual work has only two courses open to him. He must either seek charitable aid or "sponge” On his fellow man. That is a hard statement, but it is true. We hear Government supporters complaining of the low morale of a section of the unemployed, when it is their wretched 'treatment that has lowered it. The average unemployed man is a decent fellow. He is a victim of a system which ignores the inherent right of every mart—the right to work arid to receive fair remuneration for his labour.

Perhaps the most significent Utterance that has appeared in the. Press in recent months was that contained in your publication of the 11th. inst. The Primate, Archbishop Averill, at a meeting organised by a group of clergy representing principally Anglican and Roman Catholic Faiths, protested against the unjust and un*Christlan social conditions prevailing, and voiced the need of "a new system to meet the needs of the new age.” He spoke also Of man’s right to work, and his claim to "a fair and just proportion of the fruits of his labours,” The third resolution of that meeting, calling for the nb-confidenCe rejection of the Government at the coming elections on the ground of “political ineptitude,” forms eloquent testimony to the fact that social leaders ate alive to the shortcomings of the present administration. Mr. Polson stated, in effect, that the system that had prevailed for the past 2000 years was good enough for him. At the same time he did not discount the possibility of a form of socialism replacing our system of government at some future date. In my view it matters little which system prevails So long as the rights of minorities are respected. No Government that ignors those rights, that would permit a section of the people to live below a certain standard, as so many are compelled to live to-day, is deserving of support, whatever its colour.—l am, etc., N.D. Stratford, September 12. GUARANTEED (?) PRICES. (To the Editor.) Sir,—“A Dairy Farmer” has written to show that because butter is down and he cannot buy so much for a pound of butter as he could, then it is Up to the rest of the people to pay him the difference. The exporter, hri says, should be paid in the currency of his own country if he is to be able to pay his Way. The New Zealand exporter is now being paid in the currency of his country. Whether or not that fact Will enable him to pay his way depends upon how the local currency compares with sterling. To-day the farmer gets £125 (N.Z.) fOrevery £lOO sterling worth of goods exported. The rest of the community are, in effect, taxed that 25 per cent, in his favour if they wish to buy imports. On Mr. Langstone’s figures the guaranteed price scheme would require nearly £2OO (N.Z.) for every £lOO sterling worth of goods. Thus the rest of the community would be taxed far more heavily. Anyway “A Dairy Farmer” forgets that the Labour plan includes guarantees of wages, salaries and all goods and services, so “A Dairy Farmer” would have to face rising costs, and unless he got a still higher guarantee he would be worse off. If he got a still higher guarantee the consumers (workers and salary earners) would come for a still higher rate, and SO the circle would rise. Perhaps “A Dairy' Farmer” can say how the cost of fair price for a pound of butter can be arrived at. Would a fair cost for Taranaki be fair or unfair for Southland or Waikato? It is not so easy to fix the cost of an article which is the governing factor in the price of the land from which it is produced. You cannot base it on ths value of the land, because that value depends on the price of the produce. But this is only One of the troubles behind this big idea. The “nigger in the woodpile” is that no person or country can guarantee himself a larger income.—l am, etc., UNCONVINCED. Stratford, September- 12. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. WA.S. (Pihama).—Your letter is too personal for publication.—Editor. W.S. (Tatu).—Your letters are too long for the correspondence columns.—Editor.