What's Wrong?

What is wrong with New Zealand? The North Island Rugby selectors stood down 11 All Blacks, and the Government evidently considers that cattle, sheep and pigs are entitled to cheaper rail transport while suburban commuters (who of course live in Labour electorates) are to pay increased fares.

This attempt to reduce the costs of our primary industries without enlarging the Railways deficit probably has its merits. Especially when one realises that our farming products are pricing themselves out of the market, are sold with a guaranteed price to the farmers and that the present government is opposed to any increase in taxation. A second move in the attempt to reduce government expenditure without increasing taxes is the rise in telephone and telegram charges. As we are one of the four countries with the highest telephone to population ratios in the world this is practically a poll tax anyhow. But how many people realise that one of the increased P. and T. charges involves paying more for saving government money? One of the proposed new charges is threepence for any telephoned telegram. This means that people out of a city centre are to be charged more if they phone direct to the central post office than if they went to their local Post Office. So, unless they are rushed for time or are lazy, they will go to the nearest office, fill out a form on government paper with a government ball-pen and hand it over the counter. What happens then? The suburban post office employee reads it and phones the central office, who transmit it along a teleprinter circuit. Can you see how this saves money? You use the time of two officials, paper and ink and pay the basic rate. You use the time of one official and pay extra. The country is in the very best of hands. Meanwhile butter, meat and wool prices drop and the United Kingdom is wooed by a united West Europe.

—M A S.

To get some variety we ought to throw the elections really open like fr'instance.