"STAND AND DELIVER."

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2525, 28 July 1915, Page 5

"STAND AND DELIVER."

Sir, —Tho action of the miners of South Wales.in holding up the nation in its hour of need will he condemned by every section of tho community. It is shocking to think that any body of nien calling themselves British 'can be guilty of such dastardly conduct. But while wo rightly condemn these men, let us not forget that right through this war, both hero and in England, the ruling spirit actuating merchants, farmers, graziers, shipping companies, dairy and meat companies, millers, sugar refining companies,' wholesale diugaists, and all other producers and suppliers, lias been that of the "stand and doliver" type of the colliers of South Wales. Had we not tho other day- reported that in the House_ of Commons a member of the Ministry called attention to the fact that the contractors for war supplies _ and material were grossly overcharging, with tho result that the British coSt of the war was the greatest of any of the Allies? Did wo r.ot lately sea a shipment of buttei - brought back by the merchants from London to Wellington because of the extra price obtainable in Australia? Have not the farmers and graziers of this country "held it up" to tho tunc of .£4,000,000 of war profits, exacted at the bayonet's point of the nation's necessity? And will not tho same game, bo repeated by all parties as long as it is possible to do so? Tho truth of the matter is, if we had only got enough courage to face it, tliat tho spirit of commercialism, the doctrine of naked, material selfishness, has so eaten into tho heart of the nation that we stand in more danger of the.forces within than of those without. The theory that life is to consist, of getting all wo can-in return,for as little as possible the .exaltation of the standard of

"getting on," without thought or care of one's weaker brethren, is rapidly destroying tho spirit of patriotism, w'hich is the very antithesis of theso doctrines of tho market place. Till then wo can cleanse ourselves from tho gross stains.of commercial selfishness and greed, till we can say from our very hearts, "We will have none of this blood monov, tho prico of the sacrifice of tbose dearest to us." Let us not, while wo rightly condenn tho miners of South Wales, hold ourselves as separated from them by any wide gulf of moral superiority. These have at least tho excuse of the examplo set before them by those in a higher rank of society, who do not either live in daily peril through tho necessities of their calling. The Prince of the Won* has said, "Learn of Me, for I am meels and lowly." We scoff at these words, but the price wo pay for our contempt of the doctrines of self-sacrifice and renunciation is daily ' mounting up.— I am, etc., X. Ngaio, July 22, 1915.