The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, JULY, 22, 1919 THE QUALITY OF SINCERITY.

Taihape Daily Times, 22 July 1919, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, JULY, 22, 1919 THE QUALITY OF SINCERITY.

D With which iis incorporated “The Taihape Post and Waimarino E " News-”

The British Empire peoples jublicated heartily and earnestly when the Allies conceded to German requests, and an Armistice was signed, an Armistice that was understood to 'be the ‘initial stage ref :21. permanent peace. When Peace Terms were signed, there was an , {Empire Service of thanksgiving, and'aftei- the ratification of those (terms lßritishers the world over, in response to Imperial Government wish, spent another two days of high carnival, in E which young and old were able to enter I into the spirit of the occasion. From J thg outward and visible signs of Peace i celebration, so very evident in Taihape {last Saturday and yesterday, no one I - . . _ l I §i’3Zi§lZ§’Zfi‘lsZ§sT’”°isZ ‘Zl§i§§;Z’\f3sa.§i§ leorreet in saying that for quality ofi ‘the schemes of (IGCOrI‘BJtIOII, emblems,‘ i representati-ens, designs, and eontrivaf-T I I ces calculated to outwardly display the I ‘gratitude and enthusiasm of the heart, iT.aih-ape people excelled themselves,l Q and set. up a, record“ which will not be i 3 broken for a very long time to come.‘ .- Our outbursts of joy are new a thing ‘of the past, however, and we have to i ,settle down to the huge‘work with, I which the future is over-burdened. We I l have, with admirable gusto and 1 .thoroughness_, given the outward andl lvisible signs of our gratitude and, % thanksgiving for our good fortune, now l j should follow the inward grace which! .I is far the truer crit.eriofi"'of our under- l '3 standing and determination. Before , us lies the trial of our sincerity, of the ‘value of protestations utteretl under; ‘tribulation. The menace of German] slavery has been eouiitered at a huge leost in life, wli»a=t are our intentional al?01.1’§, ill‘? menace to our fellow iereatures, fellow Britons,‘ which the‘ i l’i'inie hiinrster enlphatiea.lly states‘ ! ! IS the most degrading blot on our cur- ; rrentt. history, a blot so black that we! !Es'riton_g have to bow our heads with] [Shame in the presence of a. more hu-U ‘mane Russia, «and a. more considerate ; Turkey. Hr Lloyd George ’s condemniation of our social systems has sunk vei-_v deep, and there are ma'iTy thous-U ; ands who wislrhe could be classed as ian extravagant exaggerator. ‘No one‘ i- has denied that charge, for it is inipos- i l sible to deny its truth; it! stands to go I ,i' down into future history as ‘infamy in i the highest degree, the most i E disgraceful, in-human blot tlmali‘ ] ihas . -ever disfigured the Eni—l 5 2:? ’:m::::‘:d:.::::; ' , . . . r . 7 1. i we going to do about the nienace from I ’ rvitliiiiil While poverty and actual want are all over the land how shall th idisgusting xvzzstc kept up in our Dec: Erijipliliefe f]h)1(:pE:1(')illlCll'[ ‘be eh=ai'aeterised"_l 5 :1 . ' uirtry is no \\'ors~e in th' lrespeet than Britain is, surely, no Eeuse. Men are so plentiful in some‘ ; Department:~: that it is very difiicult in— I ideed to ascertain l\'llillf. their duties‘ 2 arle, oil‘ ‘\\'l1C:lI’:l1O1‘ they have any duties at E ' .al . 1 S in <nn'land, it is solne’[' V "r. iyond ene’s ufjilclest hope to iwh.-o is the responsible officer‘ sought, A British member of Parliament reeentv I E ~ . ' e vommancing ffieer, 1 aml was told that personage was h.:av— I ““3 the day 01%‘; 310 adiwtant was asked | for, with similar result, -and after going ' ‘ through the whole gamut of commiS_ ,sloned and ‘non-commissioned officers, 11, ihe was leaving in disgust, when 3, 1 motor lorry drew up with a merry crew ‘ Inboard.‘ A lieutenant jumped off, who i iinforined the Ml’. that a sergeantmagor was in charge, who was away. 1 [ and as he had eliarge of the books the llcutenant could do nothing, and sol terminated a fruitless =of’(icia.l errand,i We are bewildered to understand why! the shameful over-staffing in militaryl departments not only continues in this Dominion, but is being increased. R Farmers of every primary necesSii)’ are being taxed almost beyond the average ma.n’s belief, while profitcermg.» indirect taxation is being levied on T necessaries of ljife, involving T;hlouslands Of people in the severest straits, is Government setting the example it should set‘? Is it not rather in partnership with the profiteerin-g gangs? The ‘r

‘importing profiteer waters his costs iwith one hundred per cent, or more, and at paternal, favtlucrly, humane Govi ernment levies its thirty per cent. duty ;-on the higher figures without a blllSh. l'1‘I1"e' masses have realised that wages ?raising is always met with liberal watering of profits, on what wages buy. The producer’s heart is taken out.‘ of his Work, and he is careless a'bout producing above ":1" certain‘ level, because he is aware :1 wasteful Government is squandering his hard earnings in keeping up wartime staifecl departments after eight months ofpeace.‘ Is Government practice any indication of a realisation of the requirements of peaceful reconstruction, and peaceful rehabilitation? A Minister of the Crown, by precept, loudly and persistently advocates smaller lroidings of land, and much more intensive cultivation, and he is silenced by being asked why he is one of the largest owners of unvworked land in the Dominion. We have jubilated for the blessing of peace, are we going; to allow this blessing to be made a curse? Are we no -more honest and earnest in our protestations against the continuance: of wasteful abuses than the .Ministel']i who keeps tens of -thousands of acresof land in the middle of the North‘

Island locked up, producing comparaftively nothing, while advocating pro'gress of settlem-cut and more intensive loultivafion to enable the country to meet its debts? Is there not something seriously amiss with a rating system that makes theintensively cultivated iaere of the small farmer worth fifty gpounds for rating purposeskwhile it ‘makes the acre of -the most. criminal land speculator worth only one pound, and in some cases less than that? When ;will farmers who farm revolt against .t'a.rmers who cel't:linly f.arln, but do not produce; men who farm the farmer, and at the same time own tens of thousands of acres and proc_luce the nl‘in_inlum‘? It is the farmer who produces‘ the most ‘ that pays the most taxation; this is the farmer who is called upon for all emergencies to put his hand into his pocket; he finds the money for peace] jubilations, partly by generosity, and} partly out of the huge taxation he has to bear. Is it not time he took steps‘ to have all land contribute its just quota in the upkeep of the.Statei It 'is possible to put national life on‘ a sounder footing, onia more just basis, eliminating wrongs ‘and evils, and no time for accomplishirig this is more opportune than the present. No one can deny tlle rottcnness that obtains. Why! 1101”. try something honest and honour-I able‘? For their "indeed the future his—‘ tory of the rape would. be something for posterity to be proud of. and II to honour our memory for.‘ .=.,......_.._....__...