ECONOMIC PROBLEMS

Waikato Times, Volume 116, Issue 19456, 21 December 1934, Page 9

ECONOMIC PROBLEMS

(To the Editor.) { Sir,—On reading “Pro Patria’s” letter of December 14 I came to the conclusion that the views of. “Pro Patria” and my own are Identical as to the cause of the economic crisis, but our views differ as to results affecting society in general. I agree with “Pro Patria” that an individualistic industrial civilisation has been developed, educating the children upon the importance of success at the expense of other things, rejecting iflght principles for selfish aggrandisement, and producing goods for private profit and not for the common weal, and reaping what has not b.een sown. “Pro Patria” does not realise the seriousness of the problem when he says that the people generally will investigate the root cause of the economic troubles, and by peaceful, constitutional and just methods obtain the power to control our economic services, and then we shall duly advance to a better state of affairs.

“Pro Patria” says “by just methods.” Thi£ is where the trouble comes in. Who is the authority to judge which methods are just? “Pro •Patria” does; not state what “constitutional methods” are. He must realise a new constitution must he adopted to make it possible to advance to a better state of affairs, since the present, constitution is not providing for it, as “Pro Patria” has admitted; it was the changing of the constitution in Russia that caused the civil war.

We are to understand by “Pro Patria’s” reasoning that every country has different economic problems, so require different principles of adjustment. This is where “Pro Patria” is' out of his depth; he is mixing potential possibilities with economic facts. The world's problems are 100 per cent, economic, and the world’s people are 100 per cent, human nature. The world’s economic problems are the same in every corner of the- civilised world. Society is faced with the serious problem of mastering the economic forces to provide itself with the necessities of life, and it is the everdeepening of this problem which is forcing humanity to 'desperation.—l am, etc.,

F. J. HALL Hinuera, December 18, 1934.