PUBLIC APATHY TO PATRIOTIC APPEALS

Wanganui Chronicle, 11 March 1947, Page 5

PUBLIC APATHY TO PATRIOTIC APPEALS

GOVERNMENT AFFRONTS HALF THE NATION SAYS “ECONOMIST''

(Special Correspondent.—N.Z.P.A.) Recd. 7.30 p.m. London, March 10 Commenting upon the forthcoming debate upon the White Paper, ‘The Economist” says*: “Moral appeals can sometimes work miracles, but they don't often do so in economic affairs, where dangers cannot easily be dramatised. The public has, after re-1 pealed doses, acquired a high degree of immunity to patriotic exhortatioh. The Government has chosen this moment to make what can only be interpreted as a deliberate decision to prefer division of the country to its unity. They have taken steps to ram their party programme thrdugn Parliament by unprecedented closure powers. So long as they continue to affront half the nation they underm.ne their moral authority to make patriotic appeals to the whole people. ‘The Economist” says: “The touchstone of sound financial policy m Britain’s present emergency is comparatively simple. The object should be to bring together seven oilhons of incomes and six billions of purchasable goods. Anything that cuts down the source of money incomes and raises the money value of goods a ’-' a "' able, either by an increase in their volume or in their price, willhelp towards this end. There is no .eason why a strict budgetary policy shou.d contradict what has come to be known as incentive argument. Are vised form of 'pay as your earn, a substitution of death duties for surtax and some replacement of direct ny indirect taxes have all become urge*m necessities. The paramount however, is that the financial policy of the Government should assist the nation in com'ng to its economic senses insteaad of continuing to drug it with Ihe illusion of panel* wealth.