LESS GOVERNMENT IN BUSINESS NEEDED.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18818, 5 March 1931, Page 13

LESS GOVERNMENT IN BUSINESS NEEDED.

To the Editor of the “ Timaru Herald.” Sir, —One hundred years ago, Macaulay wrote: “It is not by the intermeddling of ... . the ominiscent and omnipotent state, but by the prudence and energy of the people, that England has hitherto been carried forward in civilisation: and it is to the same prudence and the same energy that we now look with comfort and good hope. Our rulers will best promote the improvement of the people by strictly confining themselves to their own legitimate duties—by leaving capital to find its own legitimate course, commodities their fair price, industry and intelligence their natural reward, idleness and folly their natural punishment—by maintaining peace, by defending property, by diminishing the price of law, and by observing strict economy in every department of the State. Let the Government do this—the people will assuredly do the rest.”

Here in New Zealand to-day, we are faced, on all sides, by the results of Government “intermeddling,” mostly the outcome of the weakness of our political leaders in allowing themselves to be turned from the right path by promises of political support from influential agitators who are merely seeking that their own particular wild-cat schemes should be fostered at the expense of the community at large. And so, step by step, a state of affairs has been set up by which the State is unable to preserve that balance of trade which is necessary for its very existence. The late Mr Seddon said on one occasion, that although he considered that any man who attempted co turn town against country, or country against town, was no friend of that country, still it had to be remembered that it was not in the merest of New Zealand to establish industries by Government support, that would create an artificial scale of wages and living that would collapse the moment that support was taken away. Since then, however, the State has bolstered up nearly every secondary industry in this country, until not only has this policy practically killed its only exporting industry (on which the existence of the country depends), but it is reacting upon the secondary industries also. It does not require one to have the brains of a great economist to be able to understand that this country can-, not afford to go on payng interest upon interest for all our undoubtedly beautiful cities and towns, with concrete roads and paths : magnificent public institutions with their opulent staffs; nor has it yet been shown that New Zealand will ever be able to utilise the vast hydro-electric schemes to produce goods for export, and not merely to provide more luxuries for our already pampered local public. One would think that if New Zealand really has any great statesmen, that some method could be found to obviate what sooner or later under present conditions must occur, and that is either a compromise with our creditors —or straight out repudiation. As a suggestion, I think these statesmen might think out some scheme or means by which the primary producer could produce more, and at a price that could compete in the world’s markets. It seems to me also that there is something very wrong indeed, and needs righting, when an industry that provides nearly all of our exportable j produce cannot bear the load of decent wages to its employees. Our chief industry undoubtedly requires the assistance of our strongest young men, both mentally and physically, and I think our politicians, and indeed, all of us, should forget our paltry selfish little local jealousies and unite for that end.—l am. etc., POUND STERLING.