WASTE AND PRODUCTION

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2842, 5 August 1916, Page 7

WASTE AND PRODUCTION

Sir,—There is a groat deal of talk just now in the papers, after the war, that El Dorado of all our hopes, we are to do without German goods and becomo self-supporting as regards' manufactures, "It's not what you earn but what you save that makes you ricV' is just as true ot' countries as of families; and what lots of things wo waste in (ho Dbminion that might enrich us by keeping at home money that is now sent out of the country to buy what we could make ourselves, and these industries would provide occupation for returned soldiers and women. There has been a great outcry about the: shortage of paper, owing, _ wo _ are told, to the raw material of which it is made being nc longer procurable. But some time ago paper was made entirely of rags. What, hundreds of tons of rags must bo burnt or destroyed in the Dominion every year. . The rag-bag in which all rags are suved and sold is an institution in every English house; hold. Tlie rags and bones are cooks' perquisites, who sees that thPy are not destroyed? Why don't we have the rags collected and converted into paper, ami so be independent of foreign markets? Then bones; v/e must send hundreds ol' pounds out of the. country for bone manure, while we throw our household bones away. And straw for.hats! How much straw is wasted in the country that might be utilised and the money circulated at home instead of being sent away? Can't'we grow beets for sugar, and be. independent of all others? Tea could be grown in the Dominion, but we don't try to do it. Scrap iron, anil all sorts of metal "scraps, are thrown away. The Germans don't waste their scraps of metal. They collcct every bit, wo are told, and melt down and remake into all sorts of things. The curse of Kew Zealand commerce that smothers' industries is the high rate of wages; and hif'h wages arise from the cost, of living, apd that again is due to the fact that rich exporters— the people, who are making all the war profits—are allowed to send the best of all produce out of the country to ?eU at high prices and leave only tho re fuse, also sold at high prices. The supply not being e(|iial to thn demand, the butchers can't obtain good stock, it all being exported; therefore. tlie.v raise the price of meat a penny a pound, and we, the workers in the country and for 'he country, must pay their prico or go without. An export tax is what is needed. Of course, the rich farmers who export are against it, 'but the Labour Party and the people generally should insist on having it, in the interest of themselves and their families and tho country gen-

ernlly. Cheap living will then follow, sufficient good food will be left in the country for the people of the country, prosperity and industries arrive. Verbum sap. Thanking you, Mr. Editor, m anticipation, for inserting this letter,—l am, etc., A. JONES. July 29, 1916.