Evening star., 1944-02-06

League of Nations, its condemnation OF
the Munich appeasement policy and the
ban it placed in 1896 on the shipment
Of scrap iron to Japan.
Nash sees a definite connection be-
tween the fighting spirit of the New
Zealand troops and the way things have
been managed at home.
"The ordinary New Zealand soldier"
he writes, knew before the war certain
things which were worth fighting for
and he has before him the vision Of
better things to come. This has sus-
tanned him in the hardest times He
has known in New Zealond good school,
ing, ample work and the confidence
that he will get fair share OF the
goods produced by that work. He has
known social security system guaran-
teeing to every citizen freedom from
both the fact and fear of poverty, old
age, Ill health and the other fears OF
insecurity which haunt the ordinary
man and woman almost every day.
HE has known a system Of guaran-
teed prices and orderly marketing that
has given to farmers and their families
freedom from the worry and instability
associated with fiuctuating prices. He
has known an educational system that
has given to workers, men and women
alike, freedom from exploitation and
intimidation. He has known, too, COL
lective and cooperative organization OF
society that has given to the mass of
the people the freedom which comes
with standard of living second to none.
See Better Days Ahead.
The New Zealand people, having won
these many freedoms have had convinc-
ing proof over the years that the method
of democracy can bring great and fruit
full results. They have seen the applica-
tion in practice Of many of the prin-
ciples enunciated in the Atlantic Char.
ter and the four freedoms. They be-
lieve that If we win this war they can
then 60 on to even better things, and
knowing all this has made them vigor-
Gus fighters and vigorous workers, ready
and anxious to play their full part to
secure and extend their way Of life"
Nash says-as Churchill suggests
that the kind of social organization
worked out in New Zealand may we'll
become typical of most democracies
tomorrow" If this is a correct reading
OF the future, there will still be place
in these countries for private enterprise,
but wealth will be taxed practically out
of existence. Nobody will be very poor
and nobody very rich. Today in New
Zealand-as calculated by the army's
excellent pocket guide to that country-
only about per cent of the people have
taxable incomes of $4,000 and over. In
come taxes normally run high-that is
the inevitable price of the benefits that
New Zealand spreads among the peo-
ple-and in wartime, of course, they are
markedly higher The top is reached
on the half dozen individuals who have
incomes of 100000 or better; they pay
871a cents out of each dollar. Except on
foodstuffs and certain other items, there
is sales tax of 20 per cent, collected
on the sales of the wholesaler and jobber
to the retailer.
The first country in the world to in
trOduce Old-age pensions TN loSo), new
Zealand now has social security sys-
tenn that for scope and lberality is
without parallel. THE idea behind this
scheme" says Nash, sis that, insofar as
a person is unable to care for himself
or herself, the community accepts re-
sponsibility."
There is great variety of benefits
widows pensions, unemployment insur-
ance, a maternity service which has
helped to give New Zealand the lowest
infant fortality rate in the world, free
dental clinics for children, free milk and
apples in the schools, allowances to
mothers for dependent children where
the family income is below a certain
figure, and so on. In addition, an
emergency benefit" provision enables
financial assistance to be given to any
person, young or old, who is in need of
help but who is unable to qualify under
any of the other provisions of the Social