The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-02-05

NAsn born. Nevertheless
the Hon. Mr.. Nash knows a lot
more about the United States than
many Americans, the principal rea-
son being that In New Zealand he
is known as a New Dealer, stu
dent of social reform and one OF
the ablest men in labor govern
ment administration so advanced
that 1t makes the first Two terms
OF the Roosevelt administration look
reactionary.
Walter Nash began his career as
a tailor, and as young man in
New Zealand he took an active part
in liberal politics. At one point in
his career he was under suspicion
of bringing Communistic literature
into the country.
The New Zealand new deal didn't
! get organized until 1885, two years
after the original model got going,
but when the New Zealand Labor
Party did take over the government
under the leadership of Michael
Joseph Savage, now dead Walter
Nash was In on the ground floor.
He became minister of finance,
minister of markets and minister OF
several other things III addition to
being deputy prime minister. This
Is the Importance of the man New
Zealand is sending TO Washington,
where his job will undoubtedly be
the task of seeing that his little
island dominion gets the supplies it
needs.
FOOLED SALARIES
One story Is told in New Zealand
to illustrate Mr.. Nash's honesty as
politician and his methods. When
he was first called into the cabinet
after his election to parliament, he
was entitled by law 10 an increase
in salary. Nevertheless, he proposed
to his fellow cabinet members that
since all the members of parliament
In his party were in this reform
government to show how a labor
government could succeed, all the
cabinet members should pool their
salaries with those Of the ordinary
members of parliament, dividing up
the total so that each would get
an equal share. He put it over and
he made 1t stick.
The reforms which the labor gov
eminent put into effect were In
many ways far more sweeping than
the social reforms of the Scandi-
navian countries, which have re-
ceived so much more study and
attention in the United States.
Social security taxes in New
Zealand are 10 per cent of all wages.
In return for that, all hospitals are
free and all doctors are paid by
the state--even for operations and
maternity cases. That was the. last
link in the labor party's chain of
social reforms and 1t was achieved
only last fall after the medical pro-
fession gave up its fight to main
tain private practice. Under the New
Zealand plan, the doctor gets the
equivalent Of about 81 for office calls
and SIPS for residence calls. The
fees are paid by the the state and
it's against the law for doctor to
charge more or for a patient to pay
more
AHEAD IN HOUSING
Housing reform under the man
agement OF the government his been
carried further than In any other
country of the world. Though the
islands have a population of only
a little over a million and a half in
an area about the size Of Colorado,
the state has built nearly 10000 new
homes, mostly four-and- five-room
cottages on an eighth Of an acre.
They rent for the equivalent of S.
a week with 50-cent refund to
the tenants who keep their places
in good repair.
All labor is unionized and there
are even unions of agricultural work.
ers. The country is largely agricul-
tural. specializing in dairy products
and lambs, and the government
steps in to aid agriculture to the
extent of making loans for farm
implements and fertilizing pasture
land. Cooperative marketing ar
rangements are managed by the
state through a ministry of markets.
Practically all OF its electric power
is government-generated, sold d.
rectly to the people.
New zealand's war program Is
terrific for its size-10 per cent sales
taxes and extra was taxes on top
of all the regular income mad prop
erty taxes. Considering the small
population, its draft Of manpower
makes the efforts of larger nations
look small.
This is the little-known New
Zealand which the Hon. Mr.. Nash
comes to Washington to represent.