The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 1915. TRADE WITHIN THE EMPIRE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 280, 23 August 1915, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 1915. TRADE WITHIN THE EMPIRE.

(With which is incorporated The Tnl* hape Post ‘xna Wnimarino Newa.)

Self-preservation, it has been very aptly said, is the first law of nature, Britain. New Zealand and other dominions are now paying the price of th e Empire’s preservation in the blood of the very flower of the Empire’s sons. Husbands, brothers, fathers, friends are being sacrificed and their blood poured out to foot the bill for this Empire’s preservation, and will continue to be so poured out until our very passiou s are choked and we remain in a state of imbecile helplessness. Even the greatest sufferers will say the Empire is worth it, but was the price w e are now paying at all necessary. What has brought about the cause for such a huge sacrifice of life? It is greed, greed first and last, and it will be found that it is that section whose insatiable greed caused the war that is now fattening and topping themselves off out of the money and lives that are being offered up every minute. The greed for money and power impelled Germany to get possession of the world’s markets by her own methods, methods that are so well known now as to need no further referi ence. The greed for money induced i British shipping companies to bring

out German goods to these dominions at cheaper freights than charged for Home-made goods. It Avas in this that Ave first ceased to obey the “first Uiav of nature”; it Avas here that greed first began to pile up the huge hill of blood that \v e are now having to meet. Ships coming to Australasia, it must be icmembered, in the first place loaded at British ports, if cargo could still be added, rather than sail Avith partially filled bottoms, they picked up at Hamburg. AutAverp, and other ports the German-made goods at cheapen freights [and so British shipping companies helped th e enemy that had then commenced piling np the bill against cui Empire that would one day bring it •to bankruptcy and ruin, so that it Avould in the end have to be handed over to become German. The German mortgage over it has fortunately been called up in time tor us to save 1 ourselves. “The Day,” in their greed land gloating, was injudiciously fixed

) too early a date; it was the same greed tnat .gav e them power that will work their destruction. We ail know that Germany’s power was gained by trade—our trade —and we all know that if the masses do not stop it the same class of British traders and shipowners will, immediately this bill is paid, after thousands and thousands j more of our sons have been sacrificed, commence to run up just such another bill. They cai’e not how many young live s are sacrificed; they grow rich in times of peace by helping our enemies to oust our own made goods from our own markets. In times of war they

simply wallow in the money they extort from the Empire in its necessity; they grow fat whether it is war or peace. It is this rich, and powerful greed that the Empire has to fight, in a bloodless yet, nevertheless, a dire and desperate struggle, if another enormous bill payable in blood is not to be run up. Our local Chamber of Commerce, be it said ’to their credit, has offered the Empire the most advanced scheme for dealing with this

vexed question—a scheme that possesses all the elements of success except the most important one of all, one which th e Chamber was powerless Jo incorporate. This scheme is known here and therefore needs no explanation. It was discussed at the Conference of Chambers of Commerce in Wellington recently, but- nothing was done, beyond a mer e appealing to the patriotism of the people. This means that the influence of shipping and Allied interests is so powerful that it can block any proposal for taking steps to ensure the Empire’s future safety, a something that would prevent them from offeririg our enemies facilities for successfully competing with our own manufacturers. The one j thing the Taihape Chamber of Com- J merce scheme lacked was that legal force which can only be given by legislation, its success without the necessary legal element, has to depend entirely upon what moral force can be brought to bear. We know how hopeless it is to expect any material success for the project as it stands alone, but it has done the Empire signal service, inasmuch as it has largely helped us to see our helplessness. The spirit of the people is. willing, but when it comes to the choice of equally good articles, one at fiv e shillings, the other at seven shillings and sixpence, the temptation is too great for th e struggling wage-earner as well as for those who are consumed with their own greed. Preferential trade, reciprocal adjustments, have all proved failures; the only sure stoppage to another bill of blood being plied up against us .is State-owned shipping—the Empire’s life depends upon it.