Page 16 Advertisements Column 5

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18422, 1 July 1925, Page 16

AWJTIONS. H. MATSON AND CX>. 11. MATSON i: CO. take the liberty of repeating the following articles in onr column ■which appeared in tho "Mercantile Gazette of New Zealand" ca June 2-Sth, 1925—and they r.re more than worth the consideration of every producer, large and small. ENGLAND AS OUR CUSTOMER. Private advices from persons fn the engineering and steel business report that the state of industry in England is in a deplorable condition, and notwithstanding the efforts of the newspapers to minimise the trouble, there is every probability that the country will be presented with problems requiring the highest statesmanship to solve. Should it be impossible to find some way in which England can regain her export trade, a cataclysm will occur which will shake the industrial and social systems of the country to their very foundations. England is not alone in her trouble; every nation, with one exception, is feeling the after-effects of the titanic struggle, which not only caused thousands of millions which had been saved by toil and struggle to disappear, but drew heavy drafts upon tho future, the payment of wiiich will, for half a century or more, keep the inhabitants of the country affected in metaphorical chains and slavery. The i*aetor which at present, perhaps move than any other, is operating adversely against the European Continental nations is the taxation which is now levied. In England, the incometax destroys all initiative, prevents the formation of necessary reserves, and cripples business expansion. The French, although their Government has continually postponed tho evil day. must now grapple with the problem, as they are fast neoring that stngo when ruthless demands must be made upou the taxpayers or the Government will bo compelled to increase the note issue, in which case the experience of Germany will be repeated, and the franc, which is now stablieed round about 90 will fall until it reaches abysmal depths. High cost of living has emptied most of the peasants' stockings. With butter and choese at five shillings per pound of our money, bread at three times the price it is at London, a small shoulderof mutton at sixteen shillings, and everything else in proportion, it might be thought that the present taxation was impossible, but more must bo borne. Whatever is levied at present must bo increased three-fold and collected if the French budget Is to balance. What the consequence will bo no one can predict. Germany is not so prosperous as has been assumed, her workmen receive 7Jd per hour, PROPERTIES—If you have a Property for sale H. MATSON % CO. will be glad to have it. have a ) [ATSON . \ dave it. ' and ore glad to obtain food for themselves and their families by getting as many hours' pay in the clay as they can—the eight-hour limit has been contemptuously passed by them. If we were to take each country in succession, tho same state of things would be apparent. We are concerned with England for personal as well as sentimental reasons. The Mother Country is our principal and best customer, and if her purchasing power becomes restricted, what market Trill absorb our Hatter, cheese, wool, and frozen meat? Every nation has tariffs which bar us from selling. France wants what we produce, but her agriculturists must be protected, and if her gates were opened the fictitious values of her farming lands (good agricultural land in that country runs up to £3OO per acre) would tumble down VALUATIONS —If you Tequiro a valuation- of Live and Dead Stock, or valuation for Probate at any time, H. MATSON & -CO. can be relied upon in this direction. find involve millions of her people in the catastrophe. England is especially hit; she has shouldered an- enormous debt, and her workmen have refused to co-operate in any measures which will enable our mahufac l turevs to meet competition and send out goods in payment for .food. Tho one fact which stands out as clearly as Wrigley's electric signs on Broadway upon a dark night is that buyers select tho cheapest market, and if England cannot'. export goods which will undersoil the foreigner, her working population must starve. Whether they will prefer to do so rather than give up their present methods by which the business is strangled, time alone will show. Even if every one of them were to throw oyer their trade unions, which have led them into the present ditch, and were to put out every ounce of power they possess, and demanded only sufficient to purchase the necessities of life, it is doubtful whether the leeway already made could bo regained. A well-known English shipbuilder said the other day, in a letter he wrote to one of the bost-known newspapers, that even if labour costs were completely eliminated, English yards could not compete against German tenders, as material alone would cost more than the prico received. INSURANCES.—«. MATSON \ AND 00. represent the ROYAL INSURANCE COMPANY, and > will be glad to get your favours i in this direction. Why notl ' STABILISING MARKETS. Tho speech delivered by the Chairman of the Bank of New Zealand (Sir George Elliot) at the annual meeting of shareholders in Wellington last Friday week was prosy and drab, and lacked tho glow of inspiration. There wan nothing n«V in it, and very little that was instructive, and yet no man had a better or more commanding opportunity for giving the people some plain home truths, which would, of course, havo been unpalatable. However, he is to be commended for his references to the modern andiutterly foolish crazo for "stabilising" markers. The word ' 'stabilise'' has lost its pristine beauty since it has beeu mouthed by tho mushroom economists that have grown up amongst tho producers in Australia and New Zealand. Tho word as now used by these masquerading economists means price-fixing and mar: ket manipulating, in order to obtain a price above tho true market value. These adventurous economists labour under tho delusion that an Act of Parliament giving a body of men the absolute control, without recourse of personal property belonging to othersi even without the. consent of the latter, will .ichievo results that Old World economists its ; sure us cannot possibly be obtained under any circumstances, or, plainly, that tho law of supply and demand cannot bo circumvented. Marketing organisations for storing, shipping, supervising quality, packing, and similar services are necessary and desirr able, but that is not the whole purpose of these control Boards: they expect to move ft step further and control tho selling price. We agree with Sir George Elliot when he says "that tho United Kingdom is our great market, and by ordinary methods we have built up an increasing business there; but, if tho idea gained currency that wo intended to exploit it for all wo were worth, it ib conceivable that the people generally might refrain from buying Now Zealand products and GRASS SEEDS, ETC.—H. MATSON AND CO. Supply Glovers and Grass Seeds MachineDressed. No better range in the City. ' , We take Orders and Supply Orders for MANURES of all kinds. turn their attention to other lands for their requirements." To believe that New Zealand can control the British butter market, or the meat market, or the fruit market, or the honey market, or the wool market, or any other market is to hug a delusion. The mushroom economists that have grown up over-night from amongst tho great body of producers cannot be convinced with arguments; a physical" demonstration or objectlesson will be needed to bring conviction. Unfortunately, when the mistake Is discovered and huge losses are made, the perpetrators of the economic blunders will not suffer any measure of punishment; on the contrary, they are more likely to bo rewarded with a eoat in the Upper House. In the Army if a general goes into battle without a full supply of arms and equipment and other essentials, he' is pretty certain to bo courtmartialled. but in civil life we make him a mayor or a member of Parliament. / CORNSACKS AND WOOLj PACKS.—H. MATSON AND CO. i are Booking Orders for these at \ the present time. H. MATSON AND CO„