The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1917. THE WHEAT PROBLEM.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 6 September 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1917. THE WHEAT PROBLEM.

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

The greatest opponents of the supreme control of all production and all industry by the State are almost daily furnishing the most convincing testimony, undeniable reasons why the State must take the place of individual control, in order that exploitation and starvation, with all the troubles that both lead to may be avoided. These men are responsible for the rabid and unreasonable socialism that exists, as we,ll as of the wave of feeling now being experienced in favour of democratising everything. There were many journals who were wont to stand by private enterprise with every word from their pens; now we see them strongly advocating some form of State control. They do not hesitate to give copious evidence of the danger, criminality, and unrighteousness of their old time fetish, private enterprise. And yet the man most absorbed is his fulsome acts is not altogether to blame. If such individuals are a menace to private enterprise, and private enterprise stands for anything. worth while, why do we not insist upon enactment by our Government to keep such voracious cannibals in their place. We use the world cannibals advisedly, because he who by greed takes what is necessary to the life of the people destroys life just as heinously and as surely as he who devours the actual flesh. Is it not almost inconceivable that the laws of our land should permit the withholding of two season’s harvests of wheat while the people are on the verge of being without bread owing to strikes of transport workers in Australia, and is it not largely owing to the actions of such guiltiness that the workmen strike at all? There is a hue and cry about flourmills having to close down, but why should the public ear be troubled with their howling? They have proved unworthy of attention, the Minister of Agriculture, cannot trust them, they have abused that assistance which has been given at the public expense, and now they are howling because the Minister, the - representative of the people, will no longer trust them. Voices in Parliament signifcantly cm-

phasise the fact that to distribute wheat amongst millers Is merely to enhance its price, which must be reflected in a dearer loaf. We are surprised that the Minister has had the temerity to say that wheat in the hands of some millers shall be divided up and used before any further assistance is given from the public purse; but we arc not sure now that the iMnister is not making a virtue of necessity, for he subsequently saui that there was little probability of importing any more wheat from Australia for some time to come. This does not reach the most detestable and cruel phase of the wheat problem; we have to get back to the men such as we referred to in the opening sentences of what we have written. While mills arc closing down; people arc in a # condition of semi-starvation; while our Government is unable to import wheat, there are farmers holding their harvests two seasons deep. Let us juxtapose the gist of telegrams recently received: One states that only odd lots of wheat are to be obtained by mills, but it is known that, at least, one large line of wheat, representing and including two years harvests is still held fast by a farmer. The other case was also brought before Parliament: It was that a poor widow woman who was without food and without a roof to cover her, the bailiffs having taken possession of her sticks for eight pounds arrears for rent. It was not stated what the criminal holder of wheat had done towards winnning the war; whether any of his family were fighting the country ’s battles that he might be free to grow and corner more wheat, or whether, even, he had put the value of the cornered wheat into the War Loan, but it was stated in the Country’s Parliament that the widow woman had parted with her four sons;* she had uncomplainingly contributed all the precious life she had any interest in to th e preservation of the State; the only means of her personal support had gone to fight for the land to be used as the wheat-cornerer is using it, and the State left her to starve-—foodless and homeless —with not so good a shelter as that given', to the wheat of the gourmand. Need we wonder that there are strikes; that a wave of an undesirable mixture of rabid socialism and commendable democracy is sweeping over the country. We say labour troubles should be considered criminal in such a time as this, have not the strikers some right to say do away with the corners of wheat and the venal millers, in whom even the Minister of Agriculture has no trust; give us means of living that do not include huge exploitation profits before you blame us for striking. It should be quite unnecessary to say that the farming community as a body are doing their duty by the war and the people, but it is the exceptions such as here above mentioned that are dragging their good name in the dust while contributing to the instituting of State control of their industry.