THE. MONOPOLIST.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 15 August 1916, Page 4

THE. MONOPOLIST.

("When the monopolist gets to work upon any article ,of human food in any ciountry it is:»a poor lookout for the people. Wellinigiton and Auckland city Councillors are worrying about fish, and just as soon as they think they have trimmed for the right tack, the monopolist takes the wind out of their sails and leaves them becalmed or stranded. There is only ioiie way of successfully dealing with' monopoly, and that is by extermination. It has been the invariable experience for at least a hundred years that however sincere the efforts have been to suppress the moral crime, the monopolist rises above it all and laughs. An ordln ary common fisherman of thirty year? ago in this country is to-day, and has been for many years, an out and cut bloated capitalist of the worst class. He, as well as others, has garnered glor ious crops from the public estate, where he neither prepared the ground, sowed the seed, or tended the crop. He has worked up a monopoly so that he can charge the public just what he like?, for what comes in with his nets, and he fights Avith demonical desperation against any effort of fishermen to secure a decent living wage. A bountiful nature and the wide sea is at his service; it is also at the service of others, but woe betide the man who has the temerity to enter upon what he considers his preserves. Whatever City Councils or others may do, he manoeuvres to outflank them, and ninety-nine cases out of a hundred he succeeds, and the result is that New Zealanders, with millions of tons of fish swimming around them on every side, have to pay as much for a pound of fish as they do for n pound of prime lamb or beef. All the cost of bur resting is the haul.ng in of nets; :n ploughing or sowing; no threshing, grinding, bagging, Put jus? pull them cut of the water and nut them in the market place. There is no killing and freezing; no first cost; just put out the nets and take what is wanted. The high art and skill of the fish monopolist is seen when he ioffers that which has cost him nothing but the getting to a fish-hungry people. He arbitrarily fixes a price, and if that price is not forthcoming, no matter if the would-be purchaser is dying a slow death from starvation, the fish monopolist has no qualms of conscience; he is not his brother's keeper, and a is no concern of his if his brother dees cue of starvation, h:; must have his price ior he •;re''ii'S to reverse the process of getting his fish by carter: it back to his boat, sailing it out, and dumping it back into that sea from whence he took it, It is surprising to see City Councillors banging their heady 'against the stone wall of monopoly year after year, decade after decade, while the monopolist gets more and more supreme. The sea is the people 'a ! and the fullness thereof, but the monopolist has shown us another side to that postulate. No, there is only one way to deal with that leach upon the life-blood of a people—exterminate ' him lijkg. all other kinds of vermin.

A Munich messalge States that the Bavarian losses on the Somme for July totalled 14,500 killed, 67,000 wounded and 4000 missing.

Russia has apologised to Sweden tor the torpedoing of the German steame r Cyria in Swedish waters, and has dismissed the submarine commander who was responsible.

Rioting it reported to have occurred at Vienna following the Russo-Italian successes. Two regiments were ordered to fire on and charge the rioters, but refused to obey orders.

In the House of Commons, Mr asquith, replying to Cammander Bellairs, said lie did not see any reason to alter the title of Secretary for the Colonies to Secretary for the Dominions.

It has been ascertained that the British prisoners at Kut have been dia tributed in groups in the Augola region. They are badly housed and lack warm clothing. They are on a breau and water diet.

Mr W. Milne notifies that on and after this date the two pound loaf of bread will be sold —over the counter only—at fourpence. This is news that will be joyously received by many who have felt th e pinch from recent high prices.

German newspapers make fun of English air defences. The English must be awakened night after night by Zeppelins. The "Cologne Gazette" says that the raid s prove that anti-aircraft weapons are worthless, and that England Is practically defenceless."

German newspapers announce that Austro-Grman ngotiations r e future of Poland have been broken off without result, but will be resumed on a new basis. It is stated that both parties claim complete control of an autonomous Poland. ' ,

Travellers t>y the Taoroa-Moa-whango Eoad are advised that a fairly large slip has blocked th e road near what is known as Wheeler's Cliff; that is between Mr J. G. Collin's house and Mr Wheeles. It is not, known when the road will be cleared, as the sli is still coming down.

A headquarters correspondent says: We possess evidence that the eGrmans prepared plans for a retreat in the mid die of June. This, apparently, explains the sudden military measures taken by Holland then, as the Germans won'd possibly have retreated by the shortest way—across the Dutch province of Limburg.

The ladies of the Red Cross Society Shop remind the, generously inclined people of Taihape and district that they will be glad to have donations of cakes produce, or any other article that can be sold, in aid of the Red Cross [Work. Donor s are reminded that the shop is open to receive and to sell every Wednesday anr Saturday.

It is evident, says the "Morning! Post" correspondent at headquarters, that the Kaiser recently visited the western front. An army order, found in the pocket of a German captured at Pozieres, expresses the Kaiser's Imperial gratitude to the First Army for warding off the Anglo-French attacks on July 30. It is noteworthy that there is no longer any flambuoyant talk of victory.

The military authorities estimate the total loss by destruction of goods at the two Trentham camp fires on Sunday to be about £IOSO. In the so* cond fii'C only fodder valued at £SO was destroyed. Had this fifle spread to other parts of the building a great quantity of clothing would have gone. The value of the buildings burned down is probably under The authorities are still puzzled to account for the outbreaks.

A Wild-eyed, dishevelled drunk groped his way into the Wanganui Police Station and invented a yarn about a dark, thickset German or Austrian hav ingi stabbed him as a result of a barney bout the war. On examination a deep, severe cut was disclosed, and the man was taken to the hospital. Police and detectives were soon at work, but rz fell to a nurse at the hospital to unravel the mystery. The sufferer had evidently sat down on a jagged glas* bottle, a piece of glass in the wound being the betrayor.