WHY '‘PUZZLED” IS PUZZLED.

Waikato Times, Volume 116, Issue 19450, 14 December 1934, Page 9

WHY '‘PUZZLED” IS PUZZLED.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —I can quite understand “Puzzled” being puzzled at the news of the Soviet raising wages another 10 per cent. I advise him not to take too much notice of the piffle about, the alleged rejoicing in the. U.S.S.R. because they have raised wages, abolished food cards, eto. If "Puzzled"' were to visit Warsaw, Vienna or Riga he would find factories where these kinds of stories are turned out by massed production for the sole purpose of keeping persons of his calibre puzzled. The standard of living of the Soviet masses has been gradually rising since the beginning of the revolution, and it is because Sovietism is capable of mastering the economic life of the nation that progress is made possible. The point “Puzzled" mentions about lower scale wages Increasing more than higher soale wages In my opinion points to the time when wages will arrive at the same level with increase in production. This may seem puzzling to “Puzzled.”

The reason why the bourgeoise keep the masses at the hare margin of sustenance Is because when production is for profit it is impossible for production to provide any more. Hence the disparity between the classes. The fact of this 'disparity aggravates the position and greatly Intensifies the philosophy of “consume or be consumed." If were to ' study this subject a little he would soon disoover why he and so many others are puzzled. Does it not puzzle “Puzzled" why the capitalist world Is so concerned about Sovietism? We hear a lot of stories of failure because of lack of incentive on the part of the individual, of failure because of too much incentive causing progress to be too fast, of failure because of lack of available credit, of failure because there will be too much of all the good things in life, of failure because there will not be enough work. All these failures, however, are Inherent in private capitalism.. Failures can never be experienced without gain. Life and civilisation are one long experiment; eacli phase is the product of some preceding phase. This is necessary in the march of evolutionary development.—l am, etc.,

F. J. HALL, Ilinucra, December 11, 1934.