ECONOMY WITHOUT PRFJUDICF.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 October 1921, Page 3

ECONOMY WITHOUT PRFJUDICF.

PUTTING OUR HOUSE IN ORDER

(Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League).

The present financial stringency and restriction of trade and business in various directions does mu amount t<> an absolute .slump though, undoubtedly, it is a trying time for the producers, and distributors within the Dominion. All are feeling (he pincli more or less, just as all were enjoying (he previous good times nl high prices, high wages niul the activity ot booming trade conditions wheii orders and jobs were freely to he had. During the piping times of plenty it was unfortunately the case that our activities ol ( production and service were generally relaxed. Economy was ignored, lor were we not all out lor a good time. Profiteering went oii all round find U'> lumper on the wharves, the larmcr. merchant and others look their share nl' the chances tlint'cnme to them. lis a waste ot lime to tlnow at one another since all were in the C arnival and enjoyed il whilst il L - Throne;!] tlm fall ill prices of -omc ot mu staple products and t'v exigencies of exchange and credit, which have s', i lick us like a dolich of i old wall' . we are now rendered sober. The Dominion is like -me ■' (onntaies, in the pos'iion i : the man who wakens with a very so-e Irani in "the morning after tho nighi helm". Ot course wo fool ratlin' sick and di--griintlcd. If we had only economise 1 more w hen times were booming, d. lad only worked with Him-• sense, it rcj laid only laid mi! plans to nice: l! p-nl,nMe inmiug events. Ml" talk il we find not been more or less drunk wiili sudden inospeiity we Would have been sensible—that is the sum total. Now we have got m straighten things mil, the Dominion (that menus all from the Government dnwii) urns; _, minimise whether we like il or nut, jh’.uo those who have weakened with a load ~f depression oil them and see yellow. Til. s- people are disposed to get oil the holl-e-tops and sViek out pessimistically that the enillitry is oil the brink id niter ruin. \Ve can sympathise witn the fanners who have been hit very '< nil liv the I'a’l in prices of woo' m I n Vet Mr Massey wo. uric. m decrying very strongly th "U'.crier ol pe.siiuisni. There is a danger that wo may 10-c heart in the si niggle am l!i,.|i panic, with its evil i' stills, wiiiiel fellow . Our snip ol stale Inis rio ■' tlnoiigh tough sails I (•!(>:<*. limit' " 1 through the present storm H >, 1 " iitg is right and we all stii it to tiet w m'k. Not to he nplimis-i or |ie--i----mi«tir is the plain course lor us lo lake.

On the iecovety Irom mir ilenmicn oi prusperily many arc nut in an amm'ile mood and are ready to Idaiile cvci>lu.dy Inn them-elves. ‘ll < 1 • will la- told wlial it meriil ui lavc del;' I:v people who !ail"d t" do rig.it theu!selves. Tile fainieis arc attacking tho Civil Servants and Transport NYo-kers and these me attacking in roturil and wanting to know whore tlm larmcr* spent lheir high profits ol the live yea is. All ibis mutual rc< ■rimimitinii j. , In mir O t >ioi«n. ■ i•:i’" logctlnu, as iliteidc|iei'<huit units ol the Dominion, lor the general hettoinient and what eiiinonncs can each ol us practice lo the end ol national iceevery. There arc thus..'in the liaise, and mu of it. who have leccntly lead • attacks mi the .Civil Service saying in ell’ect that it is over-stalfcd. nviu' paid anil an excessive financial burden on the rest of ilie people of the Dominion. It is right that the value and cosls ol our public service should he levteved. Necessarily public ollices the., a great supple of labour during the war which emild not remain. M h.'u we think., hmvevei. is that miieli of the criticism el tlm Civil Servitc is misdirected being .it the nature of general unspecific I charges which fail to do justice m those win. are seiviug the Dominion tarihlullv as state employ, e,.. 11a- eri'.i. s win; call for the knife to 1. ■ ned on the service and demand dra-tic cutting down without ally disci iminative apphcatimi are not solving any problem. Whilst the people who li”. I the Inndeli of taxation may he hard hit they should renicnibei that Civil scrvan's, like themselves, have tu live ami limy Live their burdens and a right to a lair hearing. To niak - tic ~l m Pdlow do mu economising is lml ,|Us(, as lli • dutv is oil all ol ns to carry mu

SUNK* ol l IK* 1)111 l U 11 v 111 ifOMi-ti.o. • Our plan is that the application ui economy shall be without prejudice and not diieeted at any one class as il they Were the sinners and everybody else perfectly innocent. <>ur national finances do require close exa mi oat ioO. The annual appropi bilious cull 1 nr, review as it is imperative tha: savings -ball lie clfecled on the heavy charges ol Government with which the country is saddled. The line lal.etl by the I lonic Government in appointing a business men’s committee to examine ami advise a.s to where economics can be made with the best results is om which we think should le toll iWed by uni Government. Tile rusts ol Govciiimeiit administ iat ion. the commercial value of ihe business iuetliods oi the several Departments if Slate, the losses tlll migli duplication oj operalions. hampering routine method- and absence of initiative are all matters that iv.' are confident that a business committor would throw much light on to iln* saving of a good deal ol useless expenditure, it is quite a common practice in America, even in private coiicei ns, to call ill experts to icview and advise, with beneficial rc-til.s. Our Government might adopt the course ol procuring the services ol some highly trained commercial men who, we believe would indicate directions when economies could be effected. Independent judgment would elicit economy without prejudice or bias which is most desirable.