PUBLIC OPINION

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20248, 17 July 1937, Page 9

PUBLIC OPINION

As expressed by correspondents, whose letters are welcome, but for whose views we have no responsibility. Correspondents are requested to write in ink. It is essential that anonymous writers enclose their proper names as a guarantee of good faith. Unless this rule is complied with, their letters will not appear.

■hose letters are welcome, but for

BOROUGH FINANCE. (To the Editor.) Sir, —Whilst congratulating the , Hamilton Borough Council upon its , financial proposals, which I am sure the great bulk of the ratepayers will appreciate as the rise in rates was i not so steep as generally anticipated, I must, nevertheless, protest against the exploitation of the electricity fund j to lighten the ratepayers’ burden. The principle is entirely wrong. Municipal trading departments should be run, not for profit, but for service, and rates to consumers should be fixed at the absolute minimum. If inordinate profits are made (which experience has shown is frequently the case' it is at the expense of industry and trade, by adding to overhead costs. By the expenditure of rates property owners benefit, and it is they who should pay. —I am, etc., R.W.S. Hamilton, July 15, RUGBY FOOTBALL. (To the Editor.) Sir, —May I be permitted, through your columns, to suggest to the Hamilton Rugby Union, or to whatever body controls the Inter-sub-union competition, that the competition be suspended on Saturday, July 24, to allow players and enthusiasts the chance of seeing the Springboks playing in Auckland on ; that date? I feel sure that if the local games ; are played the teams will be hard put to it to field strong sides, while the attendances will not warrant their playing. Those who do not actually go to Auckland will be listening to the game over the air, and 1 think it would be a mistake for the unions in Hamilton, Te Awamutu, Cambridge and Taupiri to play their competition games.—l am, etc., ENTHUSIAST. Te Awamutu, July 15. SPRINGBOKS’ VISIT. (To the Editor.^ Sir, —Hamilton is to receive a visit from the Springbok footballers shortly, and here lies an opportunity for the business men of the town to show that they have some interest in local -sporting actlvilies. Seldom does such an opportunity present itself, and as the match is to be played on a week-day it should not be asking too much for employees, wherever possible, to ne given a half-day. It would be a fine thing if a half-holiday were made general. In the past Hamilton has gained a poor reputation as a sporting town—not as regards the active side of sport, but on the score of public interest — and here is an opportunity to retrieve the bad impression gained. Surely it is a -small thing to ask for a few -spare hours on such an auspicious occasion. —I am, etc., HOPEFUL. Hamilton, July 16. AN EXPENSIVE LUXURY. (To the Editor.) Sir, —“The people have gone in for the most expensive luxury they could have —a Labour Government—and costs and wages have risen,” Mr A. M. Risley is reported to have stated at the last meeting of the Hamilton Borough Council. Well, 1 am sure that was very naughty indeed of the people, should, apparently, have been conlented with something cheap and nasty. One does not have to be a fanatical and perfervid supporter of Labour—l certainly am not one—to realise that several thousands of people in this country -were overdue for a few luxuries —the luxury, for instance, of a roof over their heads and something Insty and fresh to eat. If the elimination of widespread poverty, misery and ill-health, such as ravaged New Zealand between 1928-1935, constitutes an expensive luxury, then I do not think I am alone in suggesting that we -have not become nearly expensive and luxurious enough yet.—l am, etc., BACCHANALIAN ORGY. Cambridge, July 15. THE BUS SERVICES. (To the Editor.) Sir, —If it had happened hut once I would not have commented, but for the second time, last Saturday, I was obliged to wait in the cold street for nearly 25 minutes for a bus bound for Frankton, when the time-table, I understand, provides for a ten-minute of a quarter of an hour service. When one firm lias the privilege of catering j for the transport needs of Hamilton, ' surely it is encumbent upon It to see that the people are adequately catered for. My destination was Rugby Park and, fortunately, I had left myself plenty of time to get there, otherwise the late bus might have meant my missing portion of the game. 1 am a regular at tender at Rugby Park each Saturday, and on more than a few occasions, often, unhappily, when the weather was bad, I have found that no bus lias been run to pick up the football crowd. This occurs frequently when there is a race meeting held locally, on other occasions the bus has immediately after I lie end of I lie match on the No.. 1 ground, while the game on the oilier field, interesting to many, continues, and those watching its progress have to miss llic mulch or Ilia bus.— I am, etc., COLL) FEET. Hamilton, July 15.

REFUSE COLLECTION. (To the Editor.) Sir,—lt was certainly a revelation to me to know from a correspondent ! that the refuse collectors in Hamilton ! are bound by contract to pick up the i dustbins where they are kept and to return them there. For over three years I have conscientiously applied j myself to this task in all weathers, and have aotually apologised profusely on occasions when I have forgotten the collection day. Needless to say I was not apprised of my mistake. Thank goodness that in future this will be one less worry for a HARASSED HOUSEHOLDER. Hamilton, July 16. THRIFT. (To the Editor.) Sir,—“Venator” has* undoubtedly won both rounds of his little brush with Mr W. P. Kenah on the subject of thrift, unemployment and laboursaving machinery. It now remains for Mr Kenah to disprove (a) that a system of paid leisure, providing for active development of the mind and body, is preferable to the present system of soul-destroying routine which to-day with mass production methods is in many cases another term for work; (b) that if everybody were thrifty and followed Mr Kcnah’s suggestions to their logical conclusion trade and industry—in fact, life itself —would be paralysed; (c) that the ■ thrifty suffered equally with the profligate in the last depression.—l am, etc., y GATECRASHER. Hamilton, July 15. GOVERNMENT POLICY. (To the Editor.) Sir,—The ways of our present Labour Government are becoming harder to understand every day. During the election campaign which swept them into office they extolled the virtues of free speech, yet they prohibit altogether Communist meetings in the public works camps. They promised justice to B class radio j stations, and when they took over I Station IZB they preserved the Rev. C. G. Scrimgeour's “Friendly Road" ! services. Yet last week they look over j Station IZM and promptly shut down I the weekly Presbyterian services from ] that station, in spite of I lie fact that j one of the leading protagonists of that j faith had a long series of discourses i all ready to deliver. Now, Sir, why ! should our Labour Government go out j of their way to preserve a sporadic and nebulous thing like the “Friendly Road” and apply the official extinguisher to an ancient and honourable institution like the Presbyterian Church? Is it because the leaders of that body in Auckland were indiscreet enough to declare for freedom of speech over the air?—l am, etc., CURIOUS. Hamilton, July 15. WAGES. (To the Editor.) Sir, —If "Venator” will re-read my letter he will see that my so-called introduction of “thrift" was but the logical reply to his outworn statement, “poverty in the midst of plenty,” and, further, his tiresome recital of ' machines doing all the work leads one ! to conclude that it is silly for anyone |to work at all. May I say, also, that J his expressions of “doing a service in | outlining the policy of the National I Party,” etc., etc., are simply puerile and cut no ice? With your, permission, Mr Editor. I j now wish to deal with perhaps Ihe J most important question of the hour — ! wages. Because I advocate wages J being brought to a level that will cause ! employment and not prevent every man j getting a job, “Venator” Infers that I j want wages to be brought to the level jof a Chinese coolie, it would, Sir, i give me great delight to see every worker getting £lO a week, and if j merely raising wages by Act of Parlia- ! ment is all that is necessary, why not l make the basic wage £2O a week? in j everything, one might say, moderation is the keynote of success, or, in other words, extremes are bad.

When it becomes a question of wages, there must be a point somewhere between very high and very low wages that results in rhythm or equilibrium—e.g., a state of affairs wherein the business of a country can be carried on smoothly—a state in which neither employer on employee is exploited; and, more important than all, where there is the least possible deterrent or obstacle in the way of employment. Now, Sir, New Zealand is almost entirely dependent for its prosperity on primary exports. The recent depression was caused by a sudden drop of about £25,000,000 in the farmers’ returns, while the present prosperity is entirely due to the replacement of that large sum. Consequent to the depression years an enormous amount of work has to be overtaken, and there is a great shortage of skilled labour, and because of that shortage tradesmen are asking almost anything and getting it; and what is the result of these absurdly high wages? The worker thinks they are coming out of the pockets of the employer, but are they? The reply is definitely not. Let me put it this way: Tt is generally recognised by statisticians that or the cost of almost everything some SO per cent, is aceounied ‘ for hv wages. Again, almost the same percentage of the adult population arc wage earners. Now is il not very clear from ibis that 80 per cent, of the rise in wages is paid by one worker to I tie others? it is I he vicious circle of vages chasing living costs ami living *-«s|s chasing wages, resulting in dis.-.mtciilcd and disillusioned workers. This, however. Is not, the worst result, which is that the whole thing must end in. not low employment. House-building provides Urn Miuslration. Tenders in Hamilton were •?',* a square foot, and when the tradesmen 'get the new awards a house will cost 30s a root. In I he depression I bought a goucl suit of clothes for £3; to-day it

is £G. The tide of rising costs is a long way yet from the flood, but the Government cannot say that they were not warned by the Opposition that both they and “Venator” ridicule. Wages must be tied to the export value of primary exports, otherwise the result will be chaos. It is easy for “Venator” to ride his hobby-horse of Douglas Credit up and down the columns of the Waikato Times and to belittle the National Party, which I claim is earnestly interested in the welfare of every individual in this lair land. —I am, etc., W. P. KENAH. Raglan, July 14.