Citizens’ Association.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19108, 28 June 1930, Page 8

Citizens’ Association.

To the Editor. Dear Sir, —It rs amazing that in the year 1930 there can be found such rank Tories as seem to have assembled at the annual meeting of the misnamed Citizens’ Association. J notice that a few prominent members of the Liberal Party were present, and uttered not one word of protest when the president (Mr H. D. Acland) launched a tirade against Liberal legislation. He objected to the increase in taxation on large estates, and thought the electors were too easily caught by slogans such as “Subdivision and More Subdivision” and “Maintain the Standard of Living,” and he evidently had no time for the slogan “Trust the People.” Mr Acland's fereaf panacea was to reduce the workers’ wages, and not a Liberal protested when he attacked the Arbitration Court and advocated paying less than standard wages to those on relief works. The Liberals cannot complain if they are judged by the company they keep. They uttered not one word of protest when the monstrous proposal was made that unemployed relief should only be given to “ destitute persons.” Is this the dictum of the Citizens’ Association, that not until a worker has lost all his savings and become a “ destitute person ” must he be given relief work at less than standard rates of pay? I do not know of a more selfish view than that put forward by Mr Acland. He wants public servants dismissed and deprived of their only means of livelihood in order that big runholders can escape additional taxation. Some of these big runholders were exempted from both land and income tax under the Massey regime and I do not remember that Mr Acland ever advocated that they should do the patriotic thing by paying their fair share. It is recorded that the Citizens’ Association carried a unanimous vote of thank? If Mr Acland.—l am, etc., J. McCOMBS.