What Readers Think Letters to the Editor

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIX, Issue 21998, 25 June 1941, Page 7

What Readers Think Letters to the Editor

MILITARY APPEAL BOARDS Sir,—l read with a lot of interest a letter by “1914-1918” concerning Military Appeal Boards. I do not think he is quite fair in his statements : bout loafers in the back country. We all know that we want to win this war. Most of the eligible men have gone from the country or are in camp ready to go. There is a fair number of acres of sheep country to be looked after and if all the men are taken away, what are we going to do? We must grow wool to clothe the troops. We must have mutton to feed them. The men fighting for us cannot win the war unless they arc properly fed and clothed. I, for one, am against a lot of the appeals, but there are cases which are honestly appealed for, and it is utter nonsense for “1914-19.18” to say that most of the appeals are made for so-called musterers and that they are loafing nine months of the year. I have been in the country for a number of years and mustered a fair bit of the Mackenzie, so I know What I am talking about. , If “1914-1918” is a musterer—which I doubt—he will know that in this rough country it takes a man a few years' experience to get the sheep out, and that with good dogs too. I think I know most of the men mustering In the Mackenzie and I know that there is not one who is not doing some sort of sheep work in the Mackenzie: mustering for shearing, then dipping, then getting them down out of the high country, eye clipping them and some crutchlng and getting them into their winter quarters. Then there is the dangerous period for snow from June 15 to August 15. The men then are perhaps up to their hips in snow getting sheep out. I know for a fact if many more of our energetic young men are taken away most of the flocks in the Mackenzie will be reduced to far less than half and the flocks will deteriorate. I hope “1914-1918” will see some sense in keeping a few reliable men for getting sheep in and shorn.— I am, etc., '.FAIR PLAY. Fairlie, June 22. Sir,—l have read quite a bit about men not going off farms. I for one, and many more hr our district, have seen one after the other go. Now we are without help. Then we hear the command: “More production.” I would like very much to ask how are we to produce if there is no help? Why not, just for a change, tackle a few of the objectors we read so much about? Their creeds will not allow them to kill. They do not believe in war. None of our boys believe in killing, but to keep people of that type safe and comfortable they have to go to war.—l am, etc., FARMER’S WIFE. Fairlie, June 22. FIXATION OF INCOMES Sir,—l read with interest the report of a W.E.A. lecture dealing with the fixation of maximum Income. Fixation of maximum income is suggested as a remedy for the progressive poverty and malnutrition that is spreading everywhere, faster than the nations are producing real wealth; but It is a policy which, if tried out, would prove an utter failure, for all that those receiving low incomes would get from the surplus of high incomes would average but a few pence a week. So that is not the remedy for an evil we would like to see removed. We are living in an age of plenty. It is estimated that if we were allowed to put the scientific knowledge and equipment we possess into full use, every family in every land would get, at least, an income of £5OO a year; but we are not allowed to do that; the present money system stands in the way. The one Important thing the world ‘s short of is money, and, strange to say, money is one of the cheapest things we can produce; but the production of this prime essential to human well be‘ng is denied us, for the creation and control of modem money are privileges that have been acquired by the banking system. We now know that they who control a nation’s money direct the policy of governments, and hold in the hollow of their hands the destiny of the people. So, the present financial system must be displaced before we need hope to. better the condition of the masses of the people. The money in circulation throughout the British Empire is, all but a trifling amount, created by the banks, as Hawtrey, assistant secretary to the British Treasury says, out of nothing. To obtain the use of this money, which cost nothing to produce, we have to hand over real wealth in the form of goods and services to those who have borrowed this costless money from the banks. Borrowers then, are the harvesters employed by the banks to reap from the community what the banks did not sow. The result is that the issuers of money very rapidly become so enormously rich that they reduce the rest of the community to the position of virtual slaves. When Sir Edward Holden was Governor of the Bank of England he explained that one of the secrets of successful banking was to alternately produce booms and slumps. To produce a boom money is let out liberally, and because of its quantity now in circulation, it loses some of its value. Then, just when borrowers least expect it, their advances are called up by the banks and their satellite organisations and business men come flop. To begin another boom the banks now purchase securities and make new investments, in this way putting money into circulation again. These securities and investments are obtained by the handing over of this money which cost the banks nothing, or next to nothing. It can be seen then that there is no hope for the betterment of the world while such a disease is rampant in the body politic.—l am, etc., AGRICOLA. Timaru, June 22. PATRIOTIC FUND CONCERT Sir, —What is the matter with the Timaru Public? On Sunday evening many local people turned out to give a concert In aid of Patriotic Funds for the boys overseas. The attendance was deplorable, considering the high standard of the artists. If this -oncert had been staged by the Air Force Band, or anybody but local artists, I venture to say the theatre would have been packed out. Is this the way the local public back up those men who have given up everything, so that the people at home can go to a concert in safety? Is this the gratitude and confidence we have in the men of Greece? “Cold night?” Yes: it’s a pity a little frost can keep people home. How about the people in England? Bombed, burned and banished. Do they stay at home and mope? No. They come up smiling through everything, while we here, living in peace and plenty, carry on in a half-hearted way, sitting at home before a fire, and commenting on the boys who are away, and not caring two hoots about the money needed for them. Miss McDonald went to a lot of trouble to organise this concert. It was not too cold for her and her great band of helpers. Thank you, Miss McDonald and your supporters for that great effort, and the rest of the public who were there. Stay-at-homes: I’m ashamed of you. I know what these funds mean to the boys out there, and we have £4OOO to make up yet. We won’t do it this way.—l am, etc., m ■ ROLL UP. Timaru, June 23. correspondents answered INTERESTED: Every married man between the ages of 18 and 46 years is obliged to register. Editor, “Tlmaru Herald.”

TO CORRESPONDENTS

In future the use of pen-names will not be permitted in letters making personal attacks upon individuals. The Editor does not undertake to enter into correspondence concerning letters which are refused publication for sufficient reason Letters Intended for publication must be reasonably brief and written legibly in ink on one side of the paper Correspondents must also attach their name and address to all letters submitted, even though a j pen-name is being used.