IS IT RATIONING?

Taihape Daily Times, 18 June 1919, Page 4

IS IT RATIONING ?

It is somewhat gratifying to have evidence that some people have taken to heart the words of Sir Joseph Ward, which were cabled to New Zealand on Monday. Theyware, anxious to have some indication of-_Wha.t the Minister of Finance was liinting at in saying that New Zealanders must “de’Eerlnincdly economise in directions not hitherto contemplated.” We would first draw attention to the omission the Minister made in not sFlting that the directions not hitherto Contemplated, were not possible of‘ contemplation. He made this omission because they were possible of

coxitexiiplationf and because no-3 thoughtful person should ever have] left them out of the future_ Although the fact of an i‘ almost terrifying food shortage is not; §Vl'itten in large letters right across? the heavens, we have to bear oul' part.‘ in that shortage just as assuredly as‘ we have to pay secret, indirect taxation, and we shofild not think any more of our politicians for keeping the people ignorant of what the slioi-tag-3 of necessaries of" life mean to this Dominion, as well as to the rest. of the world. It has previously been. pointed out that the British Empire in peace times only greVs'labou't-one~third the wheat required to"feed its people, and now, after a desolating war, those who hitherto Supplied the other two—thil.-ds have little or no wheat to sell. We ’have drawn attention to the serious;ness of the shortage of wheat production time after time, but it seems from queries coming to hand, we might as well have written in Sanskrit, or some lcnger dead language. It is not inadvisable for thoughtful people to commence thinking and wondering what the effect upon indust‘r’y and society the institution of food—rationing wbuld

have. Mr. Massey elljoills 11$ t 0 COlll-‘i mence Working to render this Domin-i ion independent? of other countries for I our most important requirements; ; what action has he and his Govern—| ment taken to render this Colllltl'Y lll‘| dependent of others, eVL‘n in UlO3 matter of wheat. and potut()es‘~.’: .31[1'| W D. S, MacDonald has done very nnieh in spite of strongest. opposition‘ towards rendering this Country, illdo'} pendent in connection with its most] important needs; but we have no sur-i plus cereal food or p0t£11‘0(‘I~'- This DO-i minion may have more food per head’ ‘than Britain and yet not 011011811 ‘(Oi go round. A question we inay consider I i is, are we going to keep what We have I while our brothers in Britain are on! the verge of starvation‘? Our Government is at last forced to realise thati hitherto wheat exporting peoples must now have Wheat sent to them, or they i must be left to the spectre of want‘ to do its horrifying, appalling and fright» , ful Work of human extermination. This spectre of famine is abroad, and ‘if. is] showing its grim countenance in what 1 We have been pleased to call “God’s§ Own Country," but which an incapable crew have rendered a place for the institution of rationing of its p‘e‘ople. All Ofgic of greed and exploitation, winked at and fostered by a. Venal government, has been in process for The past six or seven years, and new the people-exploiters and exploitedare told that they must ’deternlinedlN econpmise in directions not hi’fhoTt° contemplated. Cost of living has been quite ‘efficient in compelling the masses, to economise, and untold .diSaster lurks beneath the adoption of

£333.}..anything pressing more severely_ The men who are responsible for this situation are the men who have allowed people and their exploiters to go on in ignoranc of what nothing could stop -from overtaking them ‘but 9. renunciation and cessation of their criminal folly. There is probably less than half enough wheat in the world to feed the people, and Mr. Massey shouts, “Look out for the Crisis!! ” We do not know what form of economy not hitherto contemplated is to be forced upon us, but commonsense and common knowledge should indicate closely what the people of this producing land are now to be confronted with.