The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 1919. MORE POWERFUL THAN GOVERNMENTS.

Taihape Daily Times, 1 August 1919, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 1919. MORE POWERFUL THAN GOVERNMENTS.

‘With whVi‘bZiV’ils incorporated “Thé Taihape Post and Waimarino I News.” svt “ I ."i,.‘..'

His Majesty the King of Britain views the future with such -alarm that he has deemed it advisable in a public p.'l'aec and inapublic capacity, to urge upon the people of the Empire, “the utmost private and public economy, the best use of resources, and unremitting industry?’ There can be no fault found with sHis Majesty ’s warning so far aszfit goes,‘ but does it ’ go far enough? In this Dominion we are too far removed from Br’itain:to gain that intimate knowledge of social and industrialrcoriditions th-at would render us--competent ‘to discuss them exhaustively, but in New Zealand we are on quite safe ground...‘-It is, ‘ however, obvious to everyone: that? -B'ri?tail’l- is‘ in the throes of ‘a war that is pregnant with disaster equal to that wrought by the great world war. The The King has seen, and-his Ministerial advisers have seen, the awful thing looming up in’ the near distance ahead, and the Headman of the Empire has been put up to speak for allto all; to caution ,exploiter and starved that private economy, as well as public economy, must be practised,'and, let it be noted. ' most particularly, the King said, “We. must make the best use of our resources.” His Majesty undoubtedly spoke from personal observation, as well as from the advice of his Ministers; but another speaker, who has had 3. life—time experience, and is a highly accreditad authority on trade and commerce, speaking at the annual dinner of the Sydney “Chamber of Commerce, dealt with that further aspect of the question the King apparently omitted. This authority, a leader of commerce, speaking to ‘leaders of commerce, seriously warned members of the Sydney ‘Chamber of Commerce, “against the prevailing unrest" caused by high prices, and heappcaled to them to tackle tlle probfem from the communit.y"s standpoint, and thereby check the public outcry for goveniinental interference.” We ask our people to particularly note the next words spoken by this authority, because he is boldly tackling the great problem himself, and setting an» example to other lords of commerce, who with him have ad-iriittecll.-y ‘passed the safety E~}r.r- u"r’ their exploitation: _pl~oelivi!rins. Continuing his warning to commercial men, this leader of commerce said: “Three great forces ‘tire working whicli will sweep away a'll Governmlonts if reinforced by the vast moderate element tllat is 1-ooking-for some relief. I believe,” he said,’ “the leaders of commerce are alxl'e‘to do more to settle tllc unrest than all Governments of Australia combined.” \Vell may we indulge in self-interrogation on this statement. Is it true that leaders of commerce zare niore powerful in settling unrest than all the governments of Australia COlll,i)iJl‘€d'? If this great leader of commerce is correct, and 110110 of the leaders of commerce he was addressing seemed to differ with him, from whence ‘did they acquire tho power that combined Governments do not possess‘? This man sees the danger that King George has warned the people of, so near that he finds i‘t- 11111)‘-‘1“1' tive that those who D05,-ass the power to solve the problem should use if ml‘ nlediiltelyy that he throws down 2111 pretence: lying ,che:lting, robbing, and discloses who it is that has more powcl‘ than Rll the combined governments, and he urges them to exercise that I‘o“’°l'atoTl('-€‘-- Why? Because he sees the vast moderate human element that is looking for some relief from the inferno of robbery going against ;the Government and robbers; he sees the vast moderate forces, in desperation at Government helplessness, will sweep away all Governments. But why should those lords of commerce stand shaking with fear lest the vast moderate mul-

titude sweep away all Gov‘Ql'lllncllt’:7

That there is that real fear is gm,-,. pletely discovered in the fact that he] tells his brother cornmorcial"leaders that the unrest is caused by high! prices Which they are more'powerful than ‘the combined Governments to suc- l cessfully tackle, and so stop the pop“. lar outcry for Government interference with commerce. This .110,-(1 "of trade thinks it is better to handle the unrest t problem themselves. rather than let the i Government take a hand; again we; naturally ask, why‘? By handling the‘ high—price menace to Governments and present unholy commercial systems themselves they could save something, but if the vast majority of moderate people are left without any relief the desperation would be such as to sweep azlll Governments and pro. fitcering before it on to the commercial and Government Scrap-heap, New Zea. land is lacking a commercial king who i will step out from the seething vertex of commercial robbery :and warn his cenfrercs in greed and infamy -of what is happening outside their little circle; one who will boldly, frank-ly own that the prevailing unrest caused by high prices. is their responsibility; that they are ‘the cause of it, and that they are more powerfuitg than all Government to furnish the cure -by ‘removing the I cause. We stand in need of the New! Zcaland commercial king, who, like the Sydney commercial leader, will honest! ly, boldly tell the mass of moderate people, who are seeking relief, that they are foo-ls to think ‘that either Board of Trade or Government can help them; that the men of commerce themselves are m.ore‘- powcrfuli than National or any other Government to end the regime of unrest and starvation. Then, if our Government is‘ so impotent what are its uses, and why are commercial rings ‘so fearful lest the vast moderate clement should sweep it out of existence in seeking relief from - the drastic system -of plunder they are being subjected to‘? Is not the Government the bastion protecting a.nd permitting, the processes of trading and commercial robbery‘? That Sydney lead or of commerce, speaking to leaders of commerce, virtually told his hearers that Government must. be, saved at all ‘cost; if Government werezswept away, ' the: {last .f-ortress 0f_,‘;CQIIl1I1GICla-llSII].‘ would go,-..They must. disregard thepointiof viewythey. had been pressing forward to, ..,and, tackle,-the problem from the _co_nlmuni‘t.y_’s standpoint. What an admission for a. body of lead- I ers of commerce to make, So vital, deep, and far—reaching is it that it is d-oubtful whether we can drink in thel full importance of it. We do not expect any New Zealand leader of com-i inerce to emulate '-the .Sydney. leader, because, we, have no material of out‘ standing probity, but whatever takes place in Australia will have its in-I flucnce on the pl'iCe-jugg3l’ory of this’ country. \Vhilc the Empire was at war there was some good reason why pro} ducerg and ‘-the great army of consu-‘I mers should tolerate the robbery of price-jugglery that was pvr-oceeding, but ! there is no reason for tolerating it for one moment now. Farmers will realise that if one ‘absentee trader,da trader who (loesnot even live in’ the country, I cs-111 make £37,313’ in one year out of! handling their produce, their meat and , wool, what is the total sum the huge; army of such men is taking? Is it to. the credit of farmers and the Govern-' merit that such outrageous extortion should be permitted in the name of trade? If farmers were sharing in the lmge profits grabbed it would be un~ dc-rstanclablo to some extent, but the fnrniing industry is being manaeled and tied down by the iobbery gang, whilot peoples are being rendered desperate,‘ and all Governments are‘ rendered lia-1 blc to being swept away by the vast] moderate hunlan elb7rn'é—'nt tlrat is Seok~ ing relief. This "journal has almost ceaselessly pointed out the danger to society, industry, and Government that

is hanging overhead, 21 veritable “Sword of Damocles.” Now such a stage of desperation is reached that His Majesty the King has found it ndvisriblo for him to utter a \x'a'l_'ning; and an Austrzrliziil commercial king frankly discovers the real, ‘true, situation of commerce, Governments. and 13001510; he tells leaders of commerce I~lm.t. commerce and even comhinexd ‘Governments; wiltll be swept away, unless they commence upon price—revision from the people’s point of view. Let us realise tlmt we are being plainly fold that the profits of our producing industry are being taken by those who have no earthly right: to them but that of “might is right,” and that the might of’ the profit-grabuhers is greater than that of combined Governments. There is only one thing they fear, and that is the vast. multitude of moderate people—— their victims—that is ‘threatening to sweep them and their government proteges out of existence. To save Governments and society, it is necessary to revise price-making from the comnmnfty standpoint. This is the only antidote leaders of commerce can themselves prescribe for the increasingly threatening social unrest. VVhnt an admission. and what :1 SClfrlflid indictment of ‘their methods. Are we taking His Ma.jes’ty’s advice in making the best use of our resources while we per-'mit' ONE absentee to net £37,313 out of "them in intermediate extortion? .