The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER MONDAY, APRIL 17, 1916. ECONOMY NEEDED.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 12, 17 April 1916, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER MONDAY, APRIL 17, 1916. ECONOMY NEEDED.

Discoursing on the great need for increased production and the most rigid, economy Mr A. D. St:el Maitland, j M.P., told a Coventry audience the other day that while it was easy to seij the need Fori bravery an:l alsa ccmpara,-: tively easy to see the need for am muni-! tion. the need for economy was not so apparent and was not so easy to be understood. Economy was just as necessary as bravery and ammunition to win the war. A great deal about, business, as usual, was said at the beginning of the war. It was not business as usual now. Business as usual was ail right in the first fortnight of the war, but it was the worst thing conceivable at this stage of the conflict. The policy had been a good one originally to prevent a panic, but" today it is not panic, but a long strain) that is bearing upon the resources of the Empire. Mr Maitland stated frankly that it would be a good thing to increase all taxes, not because such increase would in itself bring them thrcu 511 the war successfully, but be-j cause such a policy would force people to be more economical in their expenditure. The more a man was taxed the less, he had to spend. That was the 'only virtue in increasing taxes. Tn dealing in detail with the conditions which render economy imperative, Ml*; Maitland pointed out that each year the United Kingdom oroduced goods to, the extent of £2.300 000, 000 sterling. Of that sum ihev spent £2.000,'- ! 000,000 and kept £300,000,000 'o themselves What was the position this,: year? Instead of being £300.000 000, to the good they were £1,000,000 000, .to the bad. If people were to realise 1 that fact they would see what the difficulty was. Three million men had | joined the colors, and they now felt I their need. Britain vas manufacturj ing much less than she used to, and at the same time spendinc an immense amount more. She bought from America £70,000.000 more worth of goods and sold, the. United Stales £80.000.000 worth less. Economy is of paramount importance, to the nation, and there are many ways in which people of all classes could save. Mr Maitland holds'that the vctory we look forward to libs- along the path of e.onomv dess than those of bravery and mater-: ials of war. , - i