Rationalisation.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19197, 10 October 1930, Page 6

Rationalisation.

To the Editor. Dear Sir,—A week or two ago I read a published list of points of party policy as stated by Mr Coates for the guidance and information of his party’s supporters. The first part of point five was “ reduction of the costs of production by rationalisation of industry.” Last Monday the Hon W. Downie Stewart was reported as asking Mr Holland what he meant by systematised business arrangements and on receiving Mr Holland’s reply he (Mr Stewart) said: “Systematisation is like rationalisation; I don t know what it means.” Mr Coates talks rationalisation (of industry) as a plank in his party platform; his right-hand man— Mr Downie Stewart—says he doesn’t know what rationalisation means. My dictionary tells me that rationalism in one sense is the antithesis to Hedonism and in another sense the antithesis to empiricism, but that it is “one of the loosest terms in the lexicon of controversy.” What use then are these high-sounding phrases to the majority of us, they might mean anything or nothing—perhaps that is why they are used in the belief that “ The people wish to be deceived; let them be deceived.”—l am, etc., TWICE SHY