The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1918. RETROGRADE PRODUCTION.

Taihape Daily Times, 8 January 1919, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1918. RETROGRADE PRODUCTION.

(With wMeh Is incorporated The Taihape Po«t Lfld Walcjnmo News).

For some reason, probably that of high prices, there -vvas a falling off: in sheep used for breeding purposes last year, and it is notable that the shortage was entirely confined to the North Island. But a much poorer average of lambs in the South last year than in the previous year reduced the output of lambs to over a million less than that of the North Island. Whatever tends to lessen this country's production of meat and wool is something supremely important/ and should arouse concern generally and should receive particular attention from those who xire entrusted with running the country's business. From Prime Minister to the backblocks shepherd "more production" has been the cry for the past three years, and now we have statistics to conclusively prove that the volume of production is on the down gradc;while Ministers are howling "more production and still more production" there is actually "less production and still less production." Last year there were nearly three quarters of a million less ewes used for breeding; surely it cannot be owing to less land being farmed, because ever since the present Government was elected its watchword has been "Settlement and still more Settlement." In fact that slogan was the cry from the hustings which was a material factor in their election. Has the promise of more settlement been kept, if so, what is the earthly use of settlement with a retrograde production? Last year this "more" settlement produced over a million less increase than in 1917. It is true that climatic conditions have been against the producer, but there were not the number of ewes in breeding there were in 1917 and there should, with several years work by a Government whose slogan is more settlement and still more settlement, have been considerably more. It is a distinct disadvantage to have "more settlement" with "less production," for such a condition indicates that land is being occupied but not. used, then what is it being occupied for? While this country is a million sheep poorer this year than it was last can it be reasonably claimed that the Government is sincere in its very much vaunted policy of more settlement >and more production? It has had several years,

quite ample time, in fact disastrously too much time, to prove its sincerity in its protestations of what it sought to be elected to accomplish, and production is, if anything, on the down grade. It is true that producers arc receiving very nn!c]T*higher prices for what they do produce and that alone has kept up the country's income and enabled the Government to immensely

| increase the producers' taxation burdens, but what will happen when prices get on the downward tendency ! with production? If that does not spell calamity we do not known what | docs. It is matter for marvel that j the farming our pioneers broguht, j from the Homeland has very nearly I become obsolete, it has fallen into j j desuetude and ranching has taken its i place. This country's production is i now measured by the sheep and cattle it grazes, not by what it raises in general farming. Wheat was grown ', in earlier years in exportable quan- ' tities, but with a Government whose battle cry is "production and still more production" sufficient wheat is i not grown to feed the population and we have to live on imported wheat. If sheep and cattle farming is neglected as to cause an alarming fall in output, and values drop as a consequence of the stoppage of war where is the money to come from to meet increasing interest on loans and pensions to soldiers and their dependents? There is no legerdemain about finance; this country has enormously increasing liabilities, and there is no way of meeting them but by enormously increasing taxation, let there" "be no misapprehension about that. Let workers understand that unless the income of the country is kept up and made to increase by more production of what we have to sell their condition must become worse instead of better,! and if they in despair of a righteous, peaceful adjustment Introduce force, what is going to be the position of those who are now employers of j labour? The whole social question is { one of finance. The 'money must be '

earned or we cannot have it to spend; more land must be settled, and that which is settled must be made to produce more. Wheat has to be imported to feed our population, and the sheep barometer is lower than it has been for years, despite the everlasting, disgusting insincerity about more settlcmeint and more production, and what are the men doing who have been entrusted with the country's business? They talk little else but more settlement and more production, but the true measure of their ability, sincerity and success is results. What are the results? To claim credit for high prices would be to claim they were, with the Kaiser, responsible for the war. Production has decreased during the last three years, yet much boast is made and credit taken'for increased income from exports, but let it be sensibly understood that it has resulted purely from higher prices owing to war conditions, for we have less to export. Stability in every avenue of social life depends upon having more ; to sell, for the time is at hand when the farmer will have greater taxation liabilities and lower prices to m£oC them with. It seems that the New Zealand Government has become so Intent on raising money by commercialism and has, owing to its monopoly of public services, been so successful that its collective judgment has become warped and it no longer sees the business horizon in its true perspective. It is literally wallowing in huge profits from railways, post and telegraphs and other public and quasipublic services, and it has for the time being lost sight of the real and only riches producing operations. Production is starving for want of roads, bridges and mail services while the Government goes on heaping up its profits from railways and post offices — not by increased business, but by charging higher prices. The craze for charging higher prices has reached a disastrous stage of madness. Under the insincere cry of "settlement and still more settlement," and "more production and still more production" is the actual practice of "higher prices and still higher prices," with less efficient services. Attention must be drawn to the seriousness of the production question. It is no excuse to parade wars and bad seasons; they are altogether irrelevant; in fact, they are causes for still greater concrn being exhibited for more exportable production. Men are committing a grave error in snugly enscojisihg the futhre behind commercialism: the greatest commercial nation on earth is now i" j the throes of anarchy. Is a&i'archv spreading in the British Emipre? Tf j so. what is adding fuel to the anarchic j fire? |