The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 1931. THE ECONOMY CAMPAIGN.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 May 1931, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 1931. THE ECONOMY CAMPAIGN.

Tim President of the Chamber of commerce made some interesting and time, ly observations last week in Dunedin, on tin; subject of the Government’s appeal- to all classes of people fUr their help ill tiding over the economic crisis. The public servants, whose salaries laid wages have been subjected to a reduction, would have a legitimate cause of complaint if they wore the only j,oction in the community that lias been called upon to make any sacrifice. They have, of course, not been singled out. The consequences of the depression in trade fell first of all, and most severely, upon the farmers. There are, Mr Cameron (the President) said, very few farmers who will this year earn as much, as will represent tht payment of wages to themselves on the Arbitration Court scale, and that means, a s their overhead charges remain, that they will have nothing left for themselves. The losses which are suffered by the farmers are necessarily reflected in the businesses of the cities and towns. There is no importer, no trader, no shopkeeper, no professional man whose business lias not declined, and the effect of this, and of the conditions of the rural settlers, is shown in the magnitude of the volume of unemployment. Those persons who have lost their* employ meat are plainly the greatest sufferers and' have the largest claim upon public sympathy, but there are few businesses—save the industries that are conducted under awards of the'..Arbitration Court—in which a reduction of salaries and wages has not already been effected. If the Arbitration Court decides upon a general order that will have the effect of reducing the aiVal’d rates Of wages, the ullole cbnimuhity will have beeff piuebd Upoir.-tin}-’ same foot-' ing, jjut while costs of production uhd professional fees are being reduced, it may be complained, and it is complained, that the rates of interest and the rentals of premises are not t>*:ng reduced. It is probable that upon this point a good deal of misapprehension exists. Rates of interest on rural securities have undoubtedly been reduced in a great many cases without recourse to the provisions of the Mortgagor’s Relief Act, which, it is to be remembered, is of general application. The rents of many small houses sti* seem to be high, but it is hardly conceivable that they will not be affected by the general economic conditions in the same way as the rentals of business premises have, reductions of these having been voluntarily made by landlords in a large number of instances. The appeal which Mr Cameron made to every one “to reduce charges wherever possible,” to employers “to keep men on as long as they <an possibly do so,” and to persons with assured incomes “to give employment by having work done which will in the normal course have to be aouc sooner or later” strikes a note that is particularly opportune and that merits sympathetic attention. The country is passing through a period of exceptional difficulty, but the community is capable of exhibiting the grit and determination ,which, as the Prime Minister puts it, are necessary to enable it to triumph over its present embarrassments.