How The \Veff are State \(/orks in Ne* Zealand

The followingare excerpts from a letter from New Zealand, recently printed in The Mississippi Valley Lumberman:

"I have just returned from a two-months study of conditions in New Zealand after 12 years of Labor Government, 10 years of Social Security, and 8 years of Socialized Medicine

"The Labor Department defines 'social Security' as a 'social obligation to be financed by society' .I will simply state that in New Zealand today it is almost impossible to get anyone to work. The want ad pages of the newspapers corroborate this statement. Column after column of helpwanted ads with not more than one-tenth of one column of position-wanted ads, and the applicants clearly state that they must be their own boss or mistress or. in the case of a domestic servant, 'one of the family.,

"Under Social Security, which includes Superannuation Benefits, Age Benefits, Invalids' Benefits, Widows' Benefits, Orphans' Benefits, Family Benefits, Minors' Benefits, Sickness Benefits, Unemployment Benefits, Maori War Benefits, and Emergency Benefits, taxes are so high that there just are no private savings with which to provide the tools of production so desperately needed. And, as practically everyone is eligible for benefits of some kind, there is little incentive for people to work.

"Every family receives 10 shillings a week for every child from birth to 16 years of age. Consequently thcse rvho have large families (and the Maoris, who are prolific breeders, also bor;ow children when the government inspector comes around) are able to live comfortably on the g.overnment dcle. As housing is heavily subsidized by the government, it is possible to secure homes at a very low rate.

"IJnder Socialized Medicine it is extremely difficult to get a doctor to leave his office and come to a patient. Since everything is free people flock to the doctors for treatment cf the mcst minor ailments. Consequently the doctors are treating three and four times the number of patients by remaining in their offices as they would by making calls. I'm talking quantitively now. I could give some shocking evidence of the quality of the treatments-some that happened in my own family. Medicine is free; so you are given prescriptions for twice as much as you need. you don,t pay for medicine at the drug store-simply sign a form.

"Obviously the money for all this must come from somewhere, and that somewhere is that part of the people's earnings that, left alone, would be used to create additional tools of production. As a result, the only step that would raise living standards by giving this magnificent ,country a balanced economy (agriculture and manufacturing) is being neglected. It is virtually impossible to save, and it is stupid to work, because most of one's earnings are used to sup_ port people who work very little or not at all.

"Under the Labor Government it is necessary to get a permit for constructing or importing anything. .Ihe bu_ reaucrats decide on how many rooms, how many bath_ rooms, and what color your house will be. My brother_in_ lat'l' spent more than six months getting the necessary permits to add two rooms to his house to accommodate a growing family. People don't voice their criticism for fear of being put on the black list or branded anti-labor. The upshot of it all is that the women of New Zealand are the hardest working people I have ever seen.

"They work from sun-up to long past sun-down. They do the cooking, housekeeping, marketing, baby-tending, washing, and cleaning-even shoe shining. yOU CAN'T GET A SHOE

Shine

IN NEW ZEALAND. There are no deliveries and no servants to look after their babies. The mothers take their babies to market. The street cars have ro.ivs of baby carriages outside, on back and front. The carriages do perform an extra service, however, for one seldom finds a paper sack for groceries. Every item is wrapped individually in newspapers."

Long-Bell \|flill Be Seventy-Five Years Phil Pcndleton New Sisalkraft Old in 1950

The Long-Bell Lumber Corporation will be 75 years old next year, and will celebrate the anniversary in some very important fashions. Members of the Long-Bell staff are busy gathering data concerning the detailed history of the company, and literature of a most interesting character will be released to the public early in the coming year. The entire organization will join in the celebration, and some important dedications now in the course of preparation. will officiallv mark the anniversary.

Representative in Valleys

Phil Pendleton is thenew Sisalkraft representative in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, succeeding Jim Murray, who has been promoted to an executive position in the Western Division offices of the Sisalkraft Co. in San Francisco.

Mr. Pendleton, a graduate of the University of penn_ sylvania, has been working with P. M. (pat) Olsen, West_ ern manager in the San Francisco office for the past year.