The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 1917. TRADE CONSIDERATIONS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 3 January 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 1917. TRADE CONSIDERATIONS.

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

A cable received yesterday conveying the gist of what took place at a special meeting of the London Chamber ,of Commerce should serve to remind New Zealanders of the supremely vital question which resulted in the origin and cause of the orgy of bloodshed which Germany set in motion. The London Chamber of Commerce recommends that the British Empire should do certain things with respect to after-war trade, but the recommeu- , dations fall flat, have no bite or grip upon the peoples of the Empire unless the one and absolute cause of the greatest of world catastrophes is kept vividly before them. To effectually understand and intelligently deal with after-war trade, it is necessary to ' realise to the fullest extreme why Germany precipitated the war. To have only a smattering idea that it was to secure greater power will not enable us to acquire an understanding of the vast importance to us in New Zealand of the question, and we shall continue to disregard it altogether, or leave ourselves in the hands of a few politicians to settle the whole thing for us. If best results are to be obtained while the conduct of and control of the world's trade is, so to speak, in the melting-pot, we must satisfy ourselves how it got there, what force put it there, and what forces are at work endeavouring to control its re-modelling. Years be fore war was forced upon us volume upo n volume was written upon Germany and England as trade rivals, and the whole question has been indisputably narrowed down to one of predominant sea-power. The great competition between Germany and England in the future will, as in the past, rest on highly organised industry on a scale of great magnitude, and the rivalry will be for that seaborne trade which takes place between manufacturing countries o u the one hand and non-manufacturing countries and regions of minor importance on the other. We smugly congratulate ourselves on the fact that Britain's trade largely exceeds that of Germany, without troubling to allay a tormenting consciousness that something is not all right. The truth is that Germany has driven us out of our own markets and left us to the far distant corners of the earth. Out of about £350,000,000 worth of German pro duce £300,000,000 of it goes into 'he highly competitive markets in Europe and the United States, while out of the £430,0<HF,000 of British produce

only about £190,000,000 go to Europe. Surely it is the great competitive markets that constitute the real test of a nation's efficiency as a producer. Therefore, we see that in this Germany has left ho: rivals far behind, and she was, when war started, the first and most effective producer among all the nations. Germany had irrefutably gained the first stage towards domination of the world, which was but a preliminary td the more vital second stage. The great rivalry in shipbuilding; the sustained development of Germany as a sea-power was, we are now convinced, nothing less than a hostile challenge to Britain. Britain's sea-power was the sole and last diffkutty that •■ food h«?twe?n Germany and the supreme position in . international commerce. While many refused to acknowledge this before the war, there are very few indeed that will attempt to deny it now. Germany had got possession of the European markets and she -had to come to grips with Britain for the £240,000, 000 of overseas trade, that was inevitable. Here was a situation of allabsorbing significance. The strain of keeping pace with Britain in war and other shipbuilding was becoming too great for the German nation, the burden was too great for the people to carry, and they were raising their voices against it. Germany, thinking she had discovered a short cut to world supremacy, made the AustroSerbian trouble an excuse to put her supremely organised and equipped land forces to the test, thinking that after France and Russia had been settled with, British supremacy would be quite an easy matter for her. We have mentioned, briefly, what led up to the war so that we may give that importance to what the London Chamber of Commerce recommends the Empire should do to place beyond any doubt the safety of our future commerce. Germany sought to gain world domination, first, by capturing the great competitive markets of the world, and then by coming to grips with Britain for the overseas trade. She had most effectually gained the first but missed her footing in taking a short cut to the second. What we have to make certain of is that we are prepared to stop Germany in every quarter from getting a footing after the war, not in a vindictive, spiteful, or retaliative spirit, but merely applying experience gained to secure our future self-pre-servation. Almost every course recommended by the London Chamber of Commerce furnishes a subject for special consideration. Notable among them are, that the State should cooperate in promoting trade banks to assist business abroad; wages sufficient to secure the worker a reasonable standard of living; profit-sharing, co-partnerships; education, and preference for everything produced within the Empire. There is nothing half so important to the British Empire after winning the war as this organ- , isation of after-war trade.

A remarkably tall soldier attracted quite an amount of attention in Palmerston during the holidays. He must have been at least 6ft sin. in height.

Owing, evidently, to the increased cost of paper and production, the Horowkenua Chronicle is to \to changed from a daily to a tri-weekly.

The "Guerre Aevienne," the official journal of aviation, has published a summary of the Allies aviation activities in 1916, which shows that 750 bombardments have been made, and 900 enemy aeroplanes downed.

There appears to be money in growing gooseberries. A gardener in the Pahiatua district is reported to have sold over two tons of gooseberries this season, and to have cleared £SO.

Just before Constanza (Roumania) fell into the hands of the Germans, 180,000 tons of petrol were stored there. This did not fall into the hands of the enemy, for Russian sailors burnt it.

Shearers are reported to be making big money this season. A Hawke's Bay shearer turned over a cheque of £4O for four weeks' work, the rate being £1 10s per 100, and he was reaching a tally averaging 150 per day of 12 hours.

Bicycle stealing is said to be rife in Christchurch. Stolen bicycles are rebranded, a different handle placed on each machine, which is so altered in appearance that the owner would fail to recognise it half-an-hour after it had been missed.

A sensational happening occurred outside the door of a chemist's shop in Cuba Street, Wellington, on Saturday afternoon. A young Avoman, aged 23 years, Phyllis Boyd, from Petone, purchased a bottle of poison, which she drank immediately she get out of the shop. It is said that she kissed a prayer-book before committing the rash, act. She was taken to the hospital, where she remains in a low state, but is now out of danger.

Absolute prohibition was enforced in Newfoundland from yesterday.

The ten-year-old son of Joseph West baker, of New Plymouth, while visiting an uncle at Oakura, was drowned while bathing yesterday in the Oakura' River. The body was recovered.

Many young farmers in South Taranaki, anticipating the time when they will be called up, are trying hard to quit their places, offering them at cost price, and on easy terms.

The light-fingered gentry were in evidence at Ellerslie racecourse on Monday. One man, while standing watching a race from the lawn, was relieved of a roll of fifteen pound notes, which were in a hip pocket.

A fresh totalisator record for. the Dominion was made at Auckland races on Monday, when the sum of £73,491 10s was handled by the totalisator staff. This is £ISOG 10s more than was passed on Boxing Day, which was a fresh record.

Heavy rain and boisterous weather completely spoilt the New Year holidays in Auckland. Yesterday the weather was so unfavourable that most of the excursions by rail and steamer had to be abandoned. At Whangarei, torrential rains, accompanied by a high gale of wind, prevailed, causing very high tides, the low-lying portions being under water. Creeks are running bank high, and floods are expected.

A delightful bit of evidence was o-iven in a Melbourne suburban court case the other day. Sikes was accused of battering his wife with a frying pan, and Mrs Smith, from next door, was in the witness box giving her version of the recent career of the happy couple. "Once he 'it 'er over the 'ead with his shovel," she said. "Another time I seen 'im kick 'er insenseless. Last time he took "is feet and 'ands to 'er proper; but when 'c saw 'er next momin' with her fice all cut up and 'er nose broken, he forgive her everythink.''

Too much rain in New South Wales has produced the worst season for rust, in wheat for thirty years,; and in addition hail and storms have knocked down crops wholesale (says the "Bulletin"). What is worse, unsuitable weather continues, and in many parts cocky can only porch on a kerosene box in the stable and .cuVse fluently wMle he watches the ceaseless rain, so often longed for, but just now an unmitigated cuTse. It is impossible to take the strippers or harvesters into the paddock and work them. There arc many out in the rain hopelessly b6ggcd. Consequently men are figuring that the yield, one time expected to be 60,000,000 bushels, will not be more than 20 or 25 millions.

At Northwich recently, reports a London paper, Private John Southern, of the Cheshire Regiment, who escaped from Germany after two years' captivity, was bound over in £lO and n-dered to pay £5 5s damages for wrecking the window of a motor engineer. Born in Rotherham of German parents, Southern said that having seen civilian prisoners in Germany with half their hair, moustaches, and whiskers shaved off, he thought it a pity that the complainant should -have his liberty, and he had tried to "get some of his own back." When the chairman said he hoped Southern would do well in the army, the soldier replied: "I hope I have the luck to kill a few more 'square-heads.' "

A striking example of the spirit which the war has brought into existence in Britain is contained in a notice which a manufacturer of photo graphic goods packs with -his products The notice explains that war conditions have caused him to depart from the use of his standard packing. After guaranteeing that whatever the variation in the packing, the quality of the goods remains second to none, the manufacturer states: —"After the war, if — D y the grace of God and the efforts of our soldiers and sailors — Great Britain is still a free nation. I will resume my usual packages. If not, I will bid 'good-bye' to the world and you rather than attempt'to carry on under a foreign yoke. My only regret is that I am too' old again to take up arms. —Yours to the end. —"

It was raining heavily in Melbourne the other afternoon, and a respectable woman, wanting to get out of the wet,, drifted into the House of Representatives and took a seat in the Strangers' Gallery. An affable gentleman sitting beside her started a conversation. He represented that lie was a prominent M.P., p.Ufl his name duly impressed the lady. She confided to him, amongst other things, that she had a son at the front and was much concerned about his welfare. The prominent, politician was most sympathetic and assured the anxious mother that he would introduce the matter to Senator Pearce. Then he had to go away to save the country, and the lady found that £l6 and a diamond ring had gone too. The member whose name the spieler used is, of course indignant. He and his colleagues would scorn to take money from the public in that fashion. There is a right and a wrong way of doing these things.—'' Sydney Bulletin.''

A smart girl for the fancy department is wanted by A. W. Gardner and Co

Mrs "Webb, pianist at the Three Stars Picture Theatre, is taking a three weeks' holiday, her place meanwhile being filled by Mrs a well known pianist and musician of Oaniaru.

"Never skimp your clothes" is the title of a preachment set out in our advertising columns by Mr G. E/Little. The moral is an excellent one, and will be found on page 2 of this issue.

"We regret to hear that the condition of Master John Dcnness, who was kicked by a horse last Saturday, is'j still very serious, though there is a j slight improvement this morning. j

Taxi-driving is evidently a lucrative employment in the Wairarapa. A taxi-car proprietor told the Military Service Board at its sittings in Masterton that his takings averaged between £lO and £l7 per week, and that his profits, over and above expenses and depreciation, were about £8 per week.

Sir Berkeley Moynihan, the distinguished surgeon, said that as an Irishman he bitterly deplored the fact tHat Ireland had not seen her way clear to accept compulsion. It might be an unusual way of putting it, but there was nothing an Irishman loved so much in the world as being compelled, apparently against his wishes, to do what was really his heart's desire. Sir Berkeley is himself the son of an Irish soldier who won the V.C.

On November 3, Mr. Rouch, a member of the Loyal AustraTia Felix Lodge, M.U., died at Burney (Victoria). He had been on the sick funds of the lodge for over 37 years, and received £979 6s 8d in sick pay, in addition he received £lO funeral money on the death of his wife, and his family will now receive £2O funeral money, making a total ,of £IOO9 6s Bd. This (says the Age) should be an inducement to young nien to join a friendly society.

During the prosecution at Invcrcargill of a fortune-teller it was stated by the police that fortune-telling had become quite a craze in the Southland capital. Tlie woman before tiie Court was liberally patronised. She divined the future by the means of cards and tea-cups, and had told people that some of the troopships would be sunk, or that a relative wouid be dead by a certain date, stories which had caused people to faint. She might be liable under the War Eegulations Act fpr spreading false news, but was charged with fortune-telling as a warning to others. The Magistrate remarked that defendant might have been burnt for witchcraft in olden days, and fined her £3. One of the finest suburban residences in Melbourne has been built by a woman from the gains she has derived by practising as a clairvoyant.