WANTED

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 147, 17 March 1920, Page 5

WANTED

A LESS SELFISH SPIRIT

UNREST AND PROFITEERING

Writing on the prevailing unrest an< jhe widespread discontent arising out oi (lie hijjli cost of living, Colonel Mitchell M.P. for Wellington South, makes appeal fur a better—a more unselfish —fipirit.

"Why such numbers of a patriotic and proud people should associate themselves politically, during-the war, with mi. extreme section," he .'remarks, ."was always a mystery to those on the field. We wero convinced that the same courrtge, pride of race and Empire, and determination to maintain it, by force of arms if necessary, attributes, which made our race and nation, the leaders of thb world,* were still the dominating characteristics of our people. One therefore looked for other reasons for their political alliance with those who are openly disloyal and ant-British. "But since one's return to this country and civil life, the causes aro all too apparent and excusable. Few only of these people are Socialists or Bolsheviks or extremists in any way. .they aro the average law-abiding, Steady salaried man and wage-earner, quite as loyal and proud of Empire as we, but, in the midst of war, they saw people growing wealthy all around them-on the wor necessities, of a struggling nation and people; they found their own economic., conditions growing daily worse, and they took the first opportunity of voting for anyone whom they believed would alter the conditions .which oppressed them. They voted, as they thought, against selfishness and greed, and a state of things which they believed should not obtain in the country which grows enough and to spare for all. Unless the conditions are altered, unless we have a better Christian spirit among our people, the spirit of discontent will grow and become more accentuated, until in passion the people may hand_ over all control to revolutionists, who will sweep the whole fabric of established rights nwav in dealing with the vested interests of the selfish, greedy, and profiteering class. That these rights may bo transferred to people even more unscrupulous, that they may bring in their place conditions of want' and suffering even worse than those they remove, is not considered, and it cannot be in the state of mind now being engendered among the common people.

"In former y«irs, competition resrulated price.?, and protected the publ'o from profiteering, but tc-day, through rings, trusts, combines, and price arrangements, competition in prices has almost disappeared, especially so, I om told, among lnrger firms. As competition no longer protected the masses' from exploitation, the Government, realising that it was its duty to step in and protect- the people. s?t up tribunals to slop profiteering, which, rightly or wrongly, the masses believed to l>e very prevalent. "Wages have been raised to meet the higher cost of k'ving in such cases wjiore the workman could enforce it. The extremist on both sides of the coal-mining dispute have been brought together, the tynernl strike cloud clenml from the sky. and altogether tte wero not without signs of a belter and more settled spirit. But. arc we really? \ "Th?., first, two, acts of. the now. Government were, firstly, to set up tribunals to stop profiteering, nnd, secondly, to lift tho embargo off hides and allow an immediate rise of 80 per cent, to 1(10 per cent, nnd put thousands of

pounds into the pockets of a few who have held them. A free market for wool, butter, arid other produce is naturally expected to follow, with, I believe, the same result, nnd bring a con-

sequent jump in land values'. Bread is up, flour is up, milk vendors are demanding a rise which will lie passed on, and felt severely by the people, especially the poor with large families, and the very nair of one's head costs 50 per cent, more to remove now.

"This rise in prices will be made the

grounds for fresh demands (just'and unjust), by sections of organised labour, and they in return, the excuse for a further rise in the price tf necessities. Thus the. wicked circle will continue until tho culmination point is reached, then the whole false structure will crash to earth and bring with it ruin and disas-

ter. The higher prices rise above their legitimate level, the greater and more overwhelming-' will the crash be. "It is generally admitted by tho farming community that the' commandeered prices allowed by "the Government for their products was fair and reasonable, that they have prospered exceedingly by them is evident, especially so when one realises' that land values have gone up 50 per rent, to 1(H) per cent, on account of these war prices for products. • "One is forced here to ask: 'What is .profiteering?" If it is not profiteering for the broker to get 80 per cent., over nrid aboye n fair arid reasonable profit

for his hides, it is not.profiteering for a merchant to get 80. per cent, over nnd above a fair and ■ reasonable profit for the boots he makes'from those-hides, and it is not profiteering''for the butcher and-baker to got 80 per cent; more for meat and', bread., The some thing applies to wool, woollen goods, aiul every other necessity, nnd the whole' act becomes a huge camouflage. Combines, and price controllers will be free . to satisfy .their, every desire in the way of profits and dividends. He who has been endowed with five talents is encouraged to use them,to further impoverish his brother with only one, nnd thousands more loynl, steady,-'find'patient' wageearners aro driven over to the extremists. It seems perfectly plain that 80 per cent, to 100 per cent, on hides is over and above n fair and reasonable profit on production, which, in tho terms ■of tho Government Act, is profiteering, and' the Act should apply, if it does not apply, the Act_ is a 'dud.' Will the board take action? It is surely an outstanding ease. Justice forbids us to oppose tho extravagant demands of certain organised sections of Labour, when wo grant siicli huge profits to more fortnn. ate sections of the community. There is at least as much justice in the claim of tho former, yet both are unjust, and not in the public interest. "We gave 17,000 lives and .£80,000,000 to defend tills country. It now cries aloud for many millions to develop it—for roads, railways, schools, water power, houses, settlements, and the aged and war cripple require better pensions -that they may live in decency. If we arc to' extract the last farthing we can from the people for goods, would it not be just for the Government to takn the whole of the. SO per cent, to 100 por cent., or whatever sum it may be, over and above a 'fair and reasonable profit' .to build schools for our children, and to give them the. medical and dental treatment necessary to develop healthy and efficient men and women, and for other ' public, works. Is the claim of the broker, the farmer, the. manufacturer, or the merchant for 80 per cent, more profit greater than tho claim of little children for better health and school environment, or greater than the claim for a better pension for the maimed soldier, through whoso effort alone we have hides to sell at.all?

"Tho former justly complained that while his products were fixed at a fair and reasonable price 'other people' wero grossly profiteering out of them. If such was so in this country it ill-bocomes .'other people' to squeal now that the right of profiteering has been transferred from them to tho holders of hides, as it mav bo with wool. It is doubtful if the public ever received tho full bonofit of the commandeered price. Yet such does, not iustifv the hide merchant in demanding the right to 80 per cent, over nnd abovn a fair and reasonable price. If it is wrong for tho storekeeper, the boot, or the wooilon manufacturer to profiteer, it is equally wrong for the farmer or fcho hido and wool merchant.

"The farmers (apart from the land sneculnfors} aro fnir and reasonable men, satisfied with a fair price for their prodiice if tho consuinnr receives the benefit, but one is not surprised that ho wants to ioin the wicked business when ho fiixs profiteers niakinß fortunes out of bis produce abroad, and belicvta tho sfinio evil exists at home. The commandeer did not bo fur enough. It. should have, followed the-raw material from the producer to the consumer, not fix tho prico for the srowor, then hand it over to tho mnnufneturer with littlfl or no control. Tho people should know who received the treat difference between tho price of raw material and tho manufactured article, and wholhor such differences are iuatvM,

"We fix wanes by boards and other ways, and there is no 80 per cent, over and above that wane. How long do we oxnect tho wose-earnor to ho loyal and law-abiding, feeling all the tinio that ho i.i the victim of ir:justico. If wo standardise n Irian's wage wo must also standardise tho nrico of necessities which that waero must buy to sustain him and his family. Tho people are entitled to such produce crown in thi3 country ns thev renuira to sustain life, at a fair and reasonable price, by all means get nil we can for tho balnnco which is exported.

"The market nrico being no longer determined by competition, lias become iust as much as can be extracted from a helpless penplo. Ts it just for us tn take advantage of that helplessnefs and necessity? Do we realise that it was this grabbing spirit and greed, not the oratory of Socialists, which made thousands of nconle vote for extremists last December? Do we realise that there is a limit, to the natience of a that wo mav be nearine; that limit now? A man who steals Is.- from his neighbour's uoeket is a thief, and receives punishment: ho who take. 1 ? thousands by wav of uiiiust wont is a succes'«ful business man. vet one wonders if his sin ?.<rainst humanity is not the greater. Is it not more widespread and insidious? "Mv love of the common people and our country, and a very grave fear for our future is my reason for expressing Hieso views, and with all earnestness I ask if it is not time wo cultivated a less selfish spirit, time wo realised that we have a duty to our neighbour as well as to ourselves. Sol/ishnoss and the trreed of a few was the beginning of Bolshevism. Is such not ".he seed we are sowimr to-dav? Yet how indignant would the profiteers be if one suggested that thev were the active partners with 'the-I.W.W. nnd disloyalist in its propa cation. Are they not responsible for the mtherinir force of unrest, which, it not allayed may ultimately ovenvhelm and destroy us On ua alone, I believe, will rest the responsibility and blame. The present selfish spirit is not in keepine with tho best traditions of the British people, nor is it, unfortunately, confined to n.nv one section or class. It is lowering our-dignity, prestige, honour, and everv noble attribute so long associated with our race. To havo an industrious, happy, and united people is bv far a nobler aim than this accumulation of wealth. ■ "I believe the present system of W)Vernraent is tho beat so far evolved for our people. It has many faults. Lotus eradicate them and perfect our constitution alonj the lines of justice, eciuitv. and brotherly loye, realising that men. women, and little children are moro valuable and more : precious than' cold. Thus fortified by right and justice, all the. attacks of Bolshevism and disloyalists shall be forever vain nnd. impotent. Let us, therefore,- put away the hand which took but never gave, before it is ton late." '

At Monday's meeting of the Claims Board of the Wairarapa Patriotic Association, a loan of .£350 and another of XiOO wew granted to enable the applicants to complete the purchase of farms. ■A letumed nursintfsistcr was advanced ,£IOO to start a business, and seven claims for temporary relief were dealt with.