The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 1916. SHAMELESS EXPLOITATION.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 11, 14 January 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 1916. SHAMELESS EXPLOITATION.

(With which is incorporated The Tat tape Post and Waimarino News.)

♦— One of the most damning reproaches that he levelled against the British Empire in connection with the war Is the| undisputed need for legisI lation to protect the masses against the rapacity and greed of commerce and property, particularly in Britain. The most unblushing, shameless acts of extortion have been practised against helpless workers and others to; such an extent that legislatures, in all parts of the Empire, have found iu necessary to come to their

as will enable Them to acquire sufficient to cover their nakedness and keep life in their bodies. On the other jhandl the extortioners have lived amid all the luxury enjoyed in prewar times. Efforts havo been made bv the press in Britain to shame these people out of their indecent behaviour without avail, and one would be inclined to believe, judging by their actions, that we live in a shameless age, leaving us no room to complain of the bold-faced impudence of our German enemies. While ships 'ai e required for conveying necessaries or. life to dependents of combatants shipping returns and import statistics disclose that they have been busy, bringing from foreign lands more, and still more, luxuries for the rich, silks for their adornment, and the highest priced wine s to satisfy their luxurious cravings, until Conservative journals, even, have been shamed into entering upon a crusade against the voluptuous self-indulgence that is proceeding amid the scenes of blood-spilling and starvation. To prevent mothers, •wives and children of men, who have 'given to the nation the utmost man has to give, being turned into the streets and roads special laws have had to be enacted, stopping evictions following upon rack-renting. In introducing his stoppage of rent-raising bill, the British Minister, Mr. Walter Long, President of the Local Government Board said, “unreasonab.e rentraising constituted a serious 'and grievous burden, and in munition areas it had created a feeling of bitterness and resentment which constituted a danger to society ,and ought to be removed. The plea that the increases in rent were negligible compared with the rise in wages was irrelevant; rents were never governed by wages. E'\eiy effort ought to be made to remove from the people the idea that they were being hardly dealt with.” It is indeed pitiable to note to what impudent extremes the rack-renters and lords of commerce will go to keep open the avenues for the gratification of their avarice and rapacity. While the rack-renting question was under discussion Sir Frederick Banbury crassly pleaded with Mr. Long to remember the days when he wa s a prominent member of the Tory Party, and not to succumb altogether to the influence of his new friends. He spoke bitterly agadnst working men who had received increases of wage s and yet refused to pay increases in rent. The legislature laughed outright at such pleading, but from an Empire point of view is it a laughing matter? This question is best answered by again reminding our readers that a tory of tory journals sees that the shamelessness of some are endangering, not only the honour of Britain, and the very existence of those who have sent their breadwinners to fight for Britain’s homes, but they are 'also risking, by their greed and voracity, the very existence of the whole Empire, to such an extreme that only compulsion cf money and a limitation in the rate of living can curb. Beside the detestable behaviour of combines and syndicates the clamourings for increased wages by workers will stand out as a shining virtue in comparison to the readers of future British history. Even hi s confreres had to laugh in Parliament at Sir Frederick Banbury’s impudent, shameless pleading for permission to go on exploiting the people.