The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE SATURDAY, JULY 21, 1917. PREDICTED STOCK FAMINE.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 21 July 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

SATURDAY, JULY 21, 1917. PREDICTED STOCK FAMINE.

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

It is somewhat generally bruited about that not only will the Shipping Trust have absolute control of the world's shipping but also that its compeer in commercial atrocity, the American Meat Trust, will have complete control of the meat anu stock of the world. It has been pointed out, and it is now universally understood, that the whole of Europe is very near a meatless stage; that a famine must prevail there for several years after the war. the Meat Trust is taking the opportunity the coming meat famine will present, to become absolute meat masters of the world.. It is stated that this organisation is' endeavouring to beggar every part of the , world where it has not undisturbed sway, by buying up everything in the way of stock; that the veriest bags of bones are taken and put through freezing works. These meat sharks seem to have pounced upon New Zealand and have dug their vulture claws so deeply into our meat that they are at the present time owners of stock even that will not be born for two years. Is it not time the National Government called a -halt in a course that can only end in beggaring this country; of creating a shortage that will affect exports so disastrously that returns will be insufficient to enable the country, as well as the individual, to meet its obligations for interest on the huge indebtednes it is incurring. New Zealand's sheep and cattle are fast falling into the hands of these meat vultures and it would be exceedingly valuable to have statistics collected showing what stock really belongs to the legitimate farmer and what has been secured in advance by jackals of the Trust. Stock returns are already commencing to show considerable shortage of sheep. This is explained in a question put to the Premier in the House last Friday. The Minister was'asked whether he had considered the advisability of stopping the killing of ewes and ewe lambs generally, and whether he will stop indiscriminate killing, for freezing, of young cattle. Anything with meat on it has been rushed into freezers by the meat shark profiteers. The Minister admitted that the bulk of meat in storage is ewe mutton and lamb, and it is a natural sequence that the depletion of stock in this way can only end in a national crisis. With such a depletion, taken with the fact that sheep are 1 already bought by the sharks before they are born, it is very plain that sheepfarmers are assisting in hurrying on their own destruction. The Time is almost within calculable distance when farmers will have to go cap in hand begging of the Trust to allow them to have a fewhead of stock on condition that the Trust later on gets them a"nd their progeny back again. Some farmers who heedlessly go on being gathered into Trust nets do not see the danger, but it is precisely the condition that obtains in countries where the prohieing industry has fallen ;.nder the 'omination of this Meat Octopus.

THE WAR,

The boasted German offensive in the Riga section of the Russian front has fizzled out, but Muckensun has succeeded in temporarily holding up Korniloff' s victorious rush to the Carpathians,, south of Lemberg. German reinforcements made it advisable for Russia to put the deep rushing ravine of the Lomnica river between her and her enemy for fear her forces might be compelled to make a hurried move to the rear. The Germans gained some advantage while the Russians were getting to safe, firm ground, but these were all recovered by counter-attacks. We say that- Korniloff's men have been temporarily checked, because it is obvious that most effective measures' on a large, comprehensive scale have been institute"*d, to take off the concentrated German pressure around Kalusz. Attack by Russia on a battle scale from Riga to Smorgen call for a good deal of any spare troops Germany may have in that sector. A great artillery action has been commenced near Brzezany to the near eastward of Lemberg, and right on the Roumanian border, in the extreme south where Germany reports heavy Russo-Roumanian cannonading. From this vigorous action practically along the whole seven or eight hundred mile front it is evident that Brusiloff is confident that he is strong enough to challenge the 7 strength of his antagonist and beat him. The disconcerting feature of the war on the Western front is Germany's threat to overrun Holland, the false accusation, the readily invented casus belli' has been stated. It comes at a time when a British thrust for the mastery of the Belgian coast is imminent. The German object is to replace lost seaports in Belgium with those she may, contrary to all known law, seize from Holland. The other is to prevent her line, now terminating in Belgium, being flanked and rolled up by extending it across Holland, right up to Embden if needs be. Germany may Have a third obpect, and that is to seize all the food stored in Holland, all Dutch cattle, sheep and growing crops, to. feed her soldiers upon. Besides this over-running a small inoffensive nation would be counted a great victory by Germany's most glorious armies. The temptation is great to the German command, in fact it was long ago expected that Holland would share the fate of Belgium. What concerns the Allies is the action of the Dutch Government, will it be compelled to side with Germany, or will it resist invasion with all the force that it has time after time vowed it will do. Another important factor will be the readiness of the Allies to parry this Hun move with adequate force. All we can know at present is that Germany has invented a casus belli upon which she may act at any moment. That a huge battle in Belgium is on the tapis is made evident by the unprecedented air fighting, in which thousands of planes are said to be participating! The Dutch affair is proof that Germany has anticipated defeat; that her armies may be compelled to seek safety over the Dutch borders and that new bases for her submarine piracy will have to be found in Dutch waters. The compulsion to lengthen her line across Holland would be disastrous to some extent, but it would provide a very ready retirement into * German territory. The French have been remarkably successful in recent actions, and the most engrossing troubles now are the submarine menace,- and the threat against Holland.