A CHECK—AND WHY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 535, 16 June 1909, Page 9

A CHECK—AND WHY.

: : >~': Sir,—Tho depression which seems settling ' '-■■■.-' ; down upon the i/omimbh threatens tol be-about ..;, '.as severe is when in liiSlO a Liberal ■ Grovern- :';• moiit 'acceded to oh'ice, : and this despite'all '■','.'- the; beneficent;" Liberal" legislation of the 'last .eighteen years.. Now, while, not claiming- to, bo'a profound economist, 1 yet -tho .simple features of the position do &om very ; '/'suggestive.' ftew .'Zealand in tho tiain is a "■ pastoral country. In 18i)U : tho freezing pro- :■■'■ cess. wa3 "only ill Its infancy, and not\ fully '■■■=':'. appropriated.' ■•• ..Before its advent, a fat. .wether carrying six months' wool was worth ■v, 123. -Wth .a : market gained, the price of ■ the liko advanced to 18s. /I'hon, with such :•:■": .an' outlet, it became ■possible to clear.imittense areas of our'.broken, third-class coun- , try, and ■ from that: and similar causes, such '•'•••.,-' as - dairying, Vtho country's output been , trebled.' l)iiring the inflation arising, .the Government raised and expended the capital .. ' of an enormous debt, so helping develop-, Ik : • irient, ■':but and ~upsetting all i|, .'. economic considerations, f . , >... •■ ':''':.. v'/Now-, a'check, Although as yet slight, ha 3 !;_: ;'■:arisenj' largoly from the;central fact that tho ■.; wether quoted abovo is again only worth i-;'].' 12,3.;. and, as again, {ho farmer—largo or .;': small—cannotlongor .afford to employ lab- ' -.'.' o'uiv. Ho.cannot afford to cloar bush coun- '■/.':•■■' try; nor will it/pay him, at present cost, to have'.his stumps cleared, and to so grow- tut-.''■".-.lups.'or jape, to fatten-: off .tho _ aforesaid ... : r wethers,,which will only bring him in 12s. Tender; thesd'circumstancca, ho has to exer- / cise.care and economy if he is'.to'remain sol- ' vent. ' Blatantinniso of tho landowner or tho capitalist; unfortunately"'docs 'not solve tho :.-.' ' question, nor does'even employment by Government, as labour, on,tho whole, only 'earns -Its share-in; the price'which its product' brings, in the-, market.- That sharo on :.-, pastoral pursuits and on ca'-canny_ exertion •'./ : may ;be ridiculously, small,' but still enterprise on present domarids.is shackled, arid de- ■ predion 'will, rulo until an adjustment is ■ ;■•,breached, which, as of old. is likely, to have /'to bo,got at "by the hagglo of tho market." '-'< i.-rlain, etc.! -v.-. ; '-.-/'• -.-.'". ' : '''■'„•'..:■ ■':■'-.,. : : .' '">■'. "■"'". A'CITIZEN.' ■■.■.■-.: : ----".'"-'.Tiinn'-'1fi.' ,--'':