ECONOMIC PARADOXES OF THE DAY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21090, 16 July 1938, Page 18

ECONOMIC PARADOXES OF THE DAY

To lilt Editoi oi Ihe limaru Heralu Sir,—The young men who were unemployed during the depression will cheer when they hear R. W. Anderson’s words—that “present achievements were only made possible by the i last Government’s “careful adminis- ■ tration”. Surely he meant mis-ad- ■ ministration. Does he think we have ' forgotten its treatment of the unem- , ployed? Has he forgotten, to name I only one, the Lindis Pass unemployed I camp? Mr H. Atmore, M.P., Independent, brought this vividly to my mind by his speech in Parliament yesterday in his reference to the single i a s camps when the Opposition was in power, “there was not a prisoner in the jails who was not receiving better treatment than the young men in camps, yet the Opposition to-day were issuing a call to youth. Slumps,” said Mr Atmore, “were made by taking away the purchasing power ot the people.” Even R. W. Anderson cannot deny the fact that during the depression. New Zealand had and was still producing more than enough goods to feed, clothe and shelter the whole population, and yet the “careful : ciministration” of the Government forced the unfortunate to starve or take jobc under conditions that were not fit for animals while producers cried to have their goods distributed. But there was no money! Because paper, silver and copper could not be issued, food • as dumped and actually burnt in city incinerators and production was curtailed, no matter if the people starved and died. Money was more impor • tant than human lives and happiness. By a strange combination of generosity and greed we protect the weak in asylums; kill the strong in futile wars, by a strange combination of ingenuity and impotence we multiply the bask necessaries of life far beyond any ’*ossible need, only to let millions go hungry and unclothed for lack ch efficient distribution. If the Editor wi.l kindly grant me enough space I would like to make some quotations that nay jar Mr Anderson’s eyes open and make him “think for himself”, specially regarding the "foreign man in London." Simon and Schuster, New York publishers made a list, according to their judgment, of the two most powerful men in the world. Montagu Norman, governor of the Bank of England was given first place. Mr Ogilvie, Premier of Tasmania in 1937, said: “The Bank Board should be your servant, but the Board to-day is your government, .and the governments and parliaments of Australia are mere puppets in its hands.” Mr Henry Ford: “The function of money is not to make money but to move goods. Governments should take back (note the word ‘back’) full control of money nd give the country a public service system as opposed to a private profit money system. I am convinced that oi • money system is antiquated. We have plenty of mon and materials ’ ut money which is not so important as men or material is holding up progress. This must be changed.” Mr G. Bernqod Shaw: “The crying need of th? nations is not for better meals, cheaper bread, temperance, liberty, culture, < ,c.,

but simply for enough money. And the evil to be attacked is not sin, suffering, greed, priestcraft, kingcraft, demagogue, ignorance, drink, war, pestilence, not any of the scapegoats which reformers sacrifice, but simply poverty.” From looking over these quotations, cannot R. W. Anderson see that his extolled government was fighting results not causes? Instead of granting—excepting the miserable dole—the unemployed, their “crying need,” enough money, tried to find them work. Instead of attacking “the evil,” poverty, they struggled with unemployment which, had they satisfactorally overcome poverty by issuing enough money would automatically have cured itself. Ido not mean pay the loafers. Unemployed men are not loafers. An honest worker -./ho cannot find employment deserves a decent living from his country, which by the use of labour saving machinery can produce more than enough without him.—l am, etc.. H. L. YOUNG. Timaru. July 15.