PUBLIC OPINION

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21037, 13 February 1940, Page 7

PUBLIC OPINION

As expressed by correspondents whose letters are welcome, but for whose views we have no responsibility. Correspondents are requested to writ*? in ink. It is | essential that anonymous writers ; enclose their proper names as a j guarantee of good faith. Unless j this rule is ciomplicd with, their , letters will not appear. THOSE PAWNSHOPS (To tih-e Editor) Sir,—l see Mr Moody is anxious to tell the National Party what a wonderful thing the Labour Government has done with regard to the pawnshops. Unfortunately, they have been only too painfully aware of it for some time now, seeing that the patrons of these pawnsnops (where they used to pawn their viothes and their wives’ and children’s clothes for beer) are now living on other people’s money which the Labour Government claims as a “higher standard of living.”—l am, etc., CIVIS BRITANNICUS SUM. Hamilton, February 14. FINANCIAL POWERS (To the Editor) Sir, —With a flourish of trumpets the Government passed an amended Bill giving it full powers over the Reserve Bank. We understand that the new note issue lacks the signature of Mr Lefeaux. This is nice to know; but what about the more important factor, the application of the authority over the bank that the Government holds? Actions do count, and it is about time the public had a large amount of relief from imposts and taxes. Can Mr Young or the local Labour lads tell us what is stopping the benefits of this so-called revised money system in New Zealand?—l am, etc., JUST CURIOUS Hamilton, February 12. THE BIAS OF PARTY (To the Editor) Sir, —I have noticed recently that Mr Moody has been writing several letters upon the work of the Labour Party. He mentions such sundry phrases as “good old Labour Party,” etc. He castigates anything that does not bear the label of the Labour Party. Surely, sir, such an attitude is unreasonable and unbalanced. No party or group of politicians holds a monopoly of all good things politically. It is worthy of mention that much of the good legislation upon the English Statute Books is there because of the Tory Party of England. It may be that if we examine the Statutes of this country we shall find that Messrs Forbes, Coates and Co., not to mention Mr R. J. Seddon, who was not a Labour man, have placed much legislation in Law that is good for us all.—l am, etc., BRUTUS. Hamilton, February 12. CONDITIONS IN GERMANY (To the Editor) Sir, —Since 1933, when Hitler assumed office in Germany, there has been a continuous breaking down of the liberty of the people. They have been denied the right of assembly; denied the right of free speech; denied the right of expressing themselves through the columns of the Press. Any attempts to maintain or restore these privileges have been frustrated by decrees which have been enforced by soldiers and police, and the persons against whom the armed forces have taken action have been placed in concentration camps. The name given to administration of this type is Fascism. In New Zealand we have not yet any concentration camps, but attempts are being made to prevent free assembly and free speech. When we witness such happenings in our own country, which firmly upholds the traditions of democracy, one is forced to ask, “What next for New Zealand?”—l am, etc., W. A. HAYWARD. Hamilton, February 12. BUSINESS AND POLITICS (To the Editor)

Sir, —I seem to remember that about last November and December a considerable agitation was worked up by the business people of Hamilton against the Government’s import control regulations. If the regulations were not relaxed or altered or something of the sort the public would be unable to buy several commodities in the shops and the shopkeepers would be forced to dismiss hordes of employees and create another unemployment problem. Now, sir, within the last fortnight several Hamilton retailers have been advertising “Sales.” My wife and 1 decided to take advantage of the numerous bargains offering. We were faced with a plethora of goods and bought all kinds of things from shoes, shirts, stockings, ties and children’s outfits to books, toys and tobacco. We were able to get all we could afford and the only drawback was that in several cases customers were so numerous that we had to wait to be served. This does not look like either a shortage of normal family requirements or pending unemployment among shop assistants. The question is, does last December’s agitation mean a sorry error of judgment on the part of its promoters or was it an ill-considered attempt by certain business interests in our town to stir up public feeling against a Government which apparently places human values before mere commercial profit? Perhaps those people who were so vocal last year would enlighten your readers.—l am, etc., CURIOUS. Hamilton, February 12. GERMAN UNITY; THE CAUSE (To the Editor) Sir.—A few weeks ago a British White Book was issued relating to atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis in Germany. The publication caused some controversy in certain quarters, it being considered to be propaganda not strictly in accord with British tradition, as it was not possible to produce verification of the details given. The following letter from a German refugee to a friend in England, the authenticity of which is vouched for in a well-known London journal, will be of interest:— “If you will picture what is happening in the concentration camps (my own personal experience verifying the statements in yuur White

Book), will remember that, unbelievable as it may seem, the whole of Germany is a vast concentration camp, in which everybody is watched and must daily, aye, hourly, fear that without any trial he may find himself in one of these dread punishment camps, then I think you may understand why to the outside world the whole of Germany seems to stand behind Hitler.

“The injustice of Versailles paved the way for Hitler and assured him many followers, but recent years have produced basic change, and converted formei followers into enemies of the present regime. The Nazi party, the number of registered members of which at one time only numbered 2-3 per cent of the population, was at first content to fill all Reich and State office with trustworthy, obedient and ruthless men, but has more recently with unheard of pressure striven to force every official, business man, anyone prominent in public life, into the party. The methods used were so severe and merciless, so carefully calculated, that nearly all those concerned, even opponents, were compelled to become members to save fortune, calling, family, even freedom. "The power of the Nazi regime has been developed by means of an inescapable and unscrupulous spying into the private and public life of every individual. This has made every German so careful of his utterance that it is almost impossible for the foreigner to get a clear impression of the dormant opposition to Hitler. I believe that the simple fact that at this very time the Nazis cannot do without this terror, proves the truth of my contention. “The remarks of a bullying official to a woman applicant for permission to leave the country, ‘ Don’t you imagine you can get out of Germany to join your Jew. You are watched even as we are ourselves,’ brings home the universality of the system of espionage.”—l am, etc., X.Y.Z. Hamilton, February 10. POLITICAL REFORM (To the Editor) Sir, —I notice that certain gentlemen are much concerned because the Government is taking no notice whatever of the resolutions passed at the Claudelands meeting. While I am a firm advocate of liberty. I am under no delusions about how much liberty we are all likely to get out of the

| existing party-political system. Be- < fore the Claudelands meeting was held, an important delegate asked me what I thought would come of it. j I told him straight that only a formal acknowledgment of any resolutions they might pass would be made by \ the Government. It was later my unhappy lot to recall this to my I friend, and say, “I told you so.” | My reasoning was that the Claudelands delegates were not elected by : the people, but simply represented ' various organisations whose members l are self-elected, or can become mem- | bers by virtue of the lact that they : belong to a certain calling. I would : like those concerned to consider a i better way, and to do this without | bias, since there are no economic or other questions involved, this discussion being solely concerned with ! political reform. j My proposal is that in each elec- . torate there should be set up an I Electorate Council, composed of dele- ' gates from each local body in the respective electorates. The essential difference is that the local bodies are not self-elected, but elected under Statute by the whole of the people, and represent every class. Members of an organisation of employees were reluctant to take part in the Claudelands meeting lor fear it should be thought that they were “in the pockets” of their opposite numbers of j the corresponding employers’ organisation. That kind of thing could ! not happen with the Electorate Coun- | cils, since they and the local member- ! ship from which they would derive 1 would represent employers and em- | ployees alike, and in fact all electors. Representations from such councils, reflecting the crystallised views | of all the county and borough coun- | cils and town boards in an electorate, and thus of the electors behind them, 1 would command respect. Indeed, it ; would soon become apparent that the i same electors who elected the local bodies would show their disapproval jat the ballot box of any candidate I who refused to abide by the concen- ; sus of view in the electorate as thus j disclosed. Political power would soon |be in the hands, not of a political j party with its machine politics and j party funds, but where it belongs—- ! in the hands of the people. I am willing to co-operate with any . organisation that will adopt this re- ' form, and any M.P.. or prospective candidate, willing to fall in with the system.—l am. etc..

T. E. McMILLAN. j Matamata, February 10.