The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1920. THE PROFITEERING CRISIS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3614, 29 October 1920, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1920. THE PROFITEERING CRISIS.

With which is incorporated "The Taihape Post and Waimarino News,"

One of the most bewildering questions now troubling the general public has' relationship to the future or New Zealand trade. That people are exhibiting concern there need he no surprise,, for they hear from one .reputed .expert that prices will not go down b while they read in their newspapers that the. Chambers of Commerce are looking to ' the Government for fatherhood in connection with trading schemes, and at the same time legislators are strongly arguing that trade is doing nothing to help itself,' beyonc that of testing how far it can, go m laying on profits'. The aspect of trade troubling the members of city Chambers of Commerce is nowise identical with'that which is of vital importance to. the general worker. One is most concerned with keeping prices up, the other with pulling them down, and between them they invite, by the neglect of trading principles, the bank to step in and decide the whole questiom for them. Ordinary tradesmen cannot flourish by profits earned from selling solely to their own employees, and New Zealand commerce and industry cannot prosper upon sales made to the Dominion's citizens. If the commerce of the country is to hold its own against all competitor, even in New Zealand, there must be a less depend- ■ eiice upon Government legislated assistance and more faith put upon what traders can do for themselves, if? that duty is forced upon them.. It was dispiriting to read the impeachment of' New Zealand merchants by the Trade Commissioner selected to accompany the Parliamentary visit to Samoa. If justified, and nothing worth while has been stated in opposition to it, it was, to fairly put it, a scathing criticism of New Zealand merchants' indifference, lassitude, or heedlessness as to whether Samoan trade came to or went elsewhere. What chambers of commerce have done is merely to pin their faith upon a rather plastic Government to snatch the S'amoan nuts out of the fire for them. Reporting upon the possibilities'.of trade with Samoa the Trade Commissioner said: "The possii bility of an improvement of the trace between New Zealand arid Samoa is very small, and the reason for this lies with New Zealand merchants. Somehow they, seem to think that trade must come their way anyTiow, and they make no effort to hold or smj prove it.?' Continuing, the Commissioner added: "If you want to ;m----,prove the trade between the two places rouse your merchants to a sense of the opportunities they are allowingto pass." What we contend is that all sections of the community arc following a course that leads "to dear ! money. Intoxicated or mesmerised by j the hugeness of war profits merchants I have probably decided that they nave purchased anything and everything offered to them. Their optimism had i become limitless: they may now aemit, however, that all their ductWngs did not turn into swans. Government, has contributed a large share towarffs propping up the notion that conscienceless profiteering would be maintained, while it should have been obvious that the highest point had been reached and commodities were going up in the balances, and currency was going rapidly down. The advantage was shifting from commodities and accumulating upon money, and j this- process is still at work. Are New Zealand traders paying any more attention to Samoan trade; are they reaching out for new markets, and hetter markets, elsewhere? If replies are in the negative it will, prove a disappointing waste of.time to go on appealing to the State to do for tnem what' they could do much better for themselves Has Labour done anything more towards laying a broad, safe and sure foundation upon which" a future glorious trading superstructure might bo raised? In Parliament anC out of Parliament Mr Massey's pet aversion is Holland, and Mr Holland's

bete noir in all weathers is Massey.

The leader of the Labour extremist party virtually charges Mr Massey with the responsibility for all the sins that arc being visited upon Labour; but are not the Labour extremists rather responsible for investing Mr Massey with the power he wields? DTa they not take every advantage by a notable adjustment of candidates in many constituencies prior to the last general election? "Were they not rather hoist with their own petard in putting up numerous candidates with the purposeful intention of ensuring the success of a Reform candidate? j Were they not guilty of a disastrous J miscalculation .about making certain 1 of Extremists being returned in sufficient force to ensure occupation of i the Official Opposition benches? Of course they were, but why pour out ■ perpetual venom upon the man they ; thereby invested with the right to , govern 1 Like other political parties. <ihey are less concerned about traCe ; of the country than they are about , striving "for that power they conferred ; upon their greatest political enemy. I A.nd yet their lies in production and , trade the key to a more sane incustrial and social condition. Honest trading must replace the orgy of trade robbery that has been rampant much too long. All the classes must realise for their own benefit that it is absur* to think that progress of the commonweal lies in bigger remuneration for a truncated service, whether that service be in the financier's parlour. ?n j the counting-house,, factory or field, j Labour extremists do not prove that j their intentions are any more honest | than those of the men they -accuse of j helping on mad profiteering.- When It j ! was truly reported that a mild slump ! bad taken place in Britain, Tom Mann, : the Labour extremist, urged Labour to be cautious; a slump was being engineered for the purpose of discouraging legitimate wages claims. The situation of trade bearing upon the cost of living is, to quote, one of Britain's best known trade experts: "The' frantic trade boom is over, and we | are going through a dull and dragging period in many industries' —and a rei adjustment of swollen prices in all ini dustries.';' These significant facts have to be taken to heart if the New Zealand ship is to weather the storm with unshaken timbers. It is not easy to justly determine the true and only source of trading troubles; but it will prove much more advantageous to i cease following up that will o' the wisp. ;and concentrate seriously on making the trading future "all that it is humanly possible for Government and people to make it. „ cannot lay claim to having followed an any les? selfish course than other political parties have taken. If Labour has been badly beaten they have ( themselves to blame, for it was Labour extremists, at last general elecwho sent the Reform party back to the House .with such an overwhelming majority. - We are, in stating tne foregoing, taking for gospel the Parliamentary Labour Party's expressed opinion that Mr Massey is Labour's greatest enemy in <so far as the cost of living comes into consideration. Labour should also keep in mind the fact that they are creating a twoedged weapon, and placing it in the hands of employers, by insisting upon wages commensurate with "cost of living, and then drastically cutting down the amount of labour for the higTi<»r pay. A business, or a country run on such lines must fail sooner or later.