REAL SOCIALISM

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 49, 21 November 1919, Page 7

REAL SOCIALISM

LABOUR IN QUEENSLAND THE RYAN GOVERNMENT AN& PRICES Tho Labour 'extremists aro fond of telling their audiences that tho Labour Government of Queensland hn.s been nblo •to keep down the cost of living in that Stote. They made similar statements in larhament until itho evidence on tho other 6ide had bccomo overwhelming. M-r. Massey dealt with the matter at some length in the Itouso last month, when he quoted an article that had been published in the Brisbane "Courier." , r . !° "Hansard" report of tho Prime Minister s statement includes tho following portion of the article: ■'Tho figures (prepared by tho Commonwealth Statistician) show very plain, ly that the percentage incroaso in, tho J?, , groceries, from July, 1.(14, to July, 191(1, was greater in Queensland than in any other State, despite Mr. Ryan's boast about 'delivering tho goojs. Tho increaso in New South Wales was 53 per cent., 43 iu Victoria, 62 in Queensland 38 in South Australia, J' in West Australia, and 42 in Tasmania, making an. average increase foT uie Commonwealth of 47 per cent. Everybody knows that tho cost of living has increased all over tho world, and nobody knows better than Mr.. Ryan that tho basic causes for the increase aro to bo found in tho enormous expenditure of money by the belligerent Governments on tho war, the inflation of the currency, tho, increased cost of production, and i tho universal scarcity of raw materials, it is quite easy to make sensational statements about 'profiteering,' and thero is no cry more calculated to excito popular discontent, becauso the most charit-ablc-mimled citizens do not like to think they are being- 'dono out of their money's worth, to uso a common expression, nor do they like to think that somebody is waxing fat' at their exponse. Before Air. liynn enters upon a whirlwind assault of the trading community, under cover op an attack on the Federal Goveinment, he should produce somo authentic evidence to support his sweeping generalisations, givo some example of this .'remorseless profiteering' about which lie so glibly talks and proves so little,i and 6ho\v how Australia oan escapb tho burden of increased prices that are abnormal throughout tho world. In September, 1917, the Government of West Australia appointed a Royal Com-' mission to inquire into tho cost of living, and Mr. Knibbs, on behalf of ii V ol,lmol,wea '" 1 Government, undertook a similar inouiry. Tho result was of negative valuo in each instance, but it was something attempted. Now what has Mr. 'Ryan none? Mr. Kvans only argument, or the only one Hint, lie has advanced, is a reference to the once of meat. He says that tho unco of meat in the State shops in Queensland is .lower than it is elsewhere. But man does not live by meat alone, nor can he livo on meat and caucus propaganda. Mr. Ryan docs not mention that, in order to secure cheaper meat for a comparatively small percentage of Queensland's population,, ho penalised the oroducors and took advantage of tho drag-not clause of an Act by wh.ich tho State shops can be supplietf with meat at a nrice below that at which tho private butcher can obtain his supplies. Ho does not tell us that no credit is allowed in his shop?, and tlrnt he has nono of tho overhead expenses which every private butcher must pay before ho makes, any profit." An lion, member: There is State enterprise for you. Mr. Massev said Stoto enterprise t.hero apparently had meant commandeering meat belonging to the producers at a lower Drico than the world values, nnd at the same timo selling meat from tho Government. farms to the consumer on tile other sideof the world at very much higher prices. Tho article went on,— "If llr. ttvnn is so satisfied with the results of his State shops, will he tell us why ho is so terribly concernerf about tho uronosal discussed in. Sydney last week which would plneo his State shops on the same commercial basis with the nrivate shops? Will ho tell us why so ' few of the State cattle have been iised for his Stale shops, and why tho Government took good care to sell the bulk of its sloek in 'lie dearest market—to the British Government, through the meat works, for the "use of the troops? Wilt ho tell us why, in 1917, the Commonwealth Government had to pay to the credit of the State shops a sum of .£19,027 for 'storage charges,' although no payment on this behalf was made by tho State shops to the meat companies? Was that 'remorseless profiteering'? Lot Mr. Ryan tell us what justification existed, or what moral right tho State Government had for charging against the Commonwealth Government a sum of nearly ■£20.01)0. seeing that the meat companies undertook tho storage of tho ment, and received no special payment for it. But moat, after all, is only a ffinall item in tho whole cost of living. Will Mr. Ryan tell us what-he has done to regulato, by artificial means, tho increase in the cost of clothing, groceries, drapery, or house Tent? Wo answer the o.uestion by .replying that lie has done nothing in that direction, becauso h.e knows that neither ho . nor anybody else, by somo artificial decree, can do anything. The increased cost, of labour, the non-pvodnction or "unavailability of raw material, enter into every department. The charges by sea and rail have increased in comparison with pre-war rates, and the increased cost of production and handling is added to the total cost'at every stage. Tho worker demands moro wages the wholesnlo merchant renuires some return for his money, nnd the shonkeeper has to live nnd nav liis way. Which of these three is profiteering? The increased cost of living is duo to a snowball process of accumulated charges, nnd no amount of specious socialistic propaganda will stop it. The only eltccHve way to reduce tho cost of'living is by (increasing production. yet Mr Ryan seeks to discourage production 1 by making unemployment a charge on industry. Such is the difference between caucus theory and practical effort." "In spite of nil that had been said about the success of the Queensland Government in keening down the cost of living," .added Mr. .Mnssey. "the hard fact stood that tho cost of living was liiehor in Queensland to-day than in any other part of. Australasia, nnd probably liii'lier than in any other country south of the Line."