The Daily News. FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 1911. THE PEOPLE'S FOOD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 335, 23 June 1911, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 1911. THE PEOPLE'S FOOD.

There is general discontent in Sydney at the high prices asked for necessities of life, and the Government is going to see about it. As the cost of living in Sydney is less than the cost in any city of New Zealand, the New Zealand public will naturally watch the work of the New South Wales Commission which is to enquire into the matter with interest. The conditions obtaining in New South Wales are in a remarkable degree the conditions that obtain in Now Zealand. Too many people are congregated in the towns, and thus there are too many "eaters" and too few producers. The people of New South Wales are, although not taxed so heavily as New Zealanders, still taxed more heavily than formerly. That is to say, that the landowners have to bear a larger proportion of the burden of taxation, and consequently contrive methods for recouping their losses. The first thing that "goes up" on an addition to taxation is rent; the increase of rent induces tenants doing business in rented premises to increase the prices of their saleable commodities, and almost invariably the increases appear to be entirely out of proportion to the increase of rentals. Indeed, in a condition of society obtaining in- New South Wales and New Zealand, where the individual is engaged in a constant endeavor to decrease his manual output and to increase his income, almost all classes pile the "last straw" on the more or less patient "camel." The obvious contention of the rank and file in New South Wales is that it gets too little for the expenditure of its hard-earned money. Their position is probably a fair one. They bolieve that the supplying class takes advantage of, say, a 2>/ 2 per cent, increase of expenditure to inflict a 5 per cent, (or more) increase on customers. .Everybody in every country knows the system. The truth is. summed up in thf. expression of a member of a local body: "The landlord who pays a penny a week more in taxes, sees ruination staring him in the face, and demands 2s a week more rent to appease his poverty." The New South Wales Government is going about its inquiries in a peculiarly sensible manner. Recognising that foodstuffs are of the greatest importance to the people it will set about enquiring into the source of supplies, their quantity, the price paid for them by wholesalers, and the priors paid *by retailers, and the prices paid by eat'ers. It is easy to prophesy that the disparity between the latter and the former is out of all proportion to the necessities of the case. The Royal Commission will probably find —as a Royal Commission might find in New Zealand—that its most interesting work will be in the examination of those combines specifically created to keep foodstuffs at a high price, but what methods can be taken to end a system that exists to a greater or lesser extent in most towns in Australasia cannot bo foreseen. The rigorous tariff walls existing in all the States and this country exclude cheap , food. It is impossible when there is a shortage here to obtain cheap supplies from Australia, and vice versa. Freetrade between the dominions is unthinkable, because it is unpopular, while freetrade within the Empire is the dream of people who are not cranks, but who are regarded as such. An amazing thing disclosed by the debates on the New. South Wales state of affairs is the grip the foreigner gets in that country. For instance, as in some cities of Australia, so in some towns of New Zealand, the Chinese have a fast hold of vegetables and fruit. In countries that can grow enough fruit to adequately feed the whole population at the cheapest possible rates, it is a luxury doled out by the foreigner. What are New South Wales and New Zealand going to do about it? Talk? The Italian thrives like a green bay tree in Sydney: he has a fast grip of the fruit, trade. He goes to Australia as a laborer, hawker, anything. In a few years he has become one of the "ring," with good premises, and can dictate to the Australian. Greeks hold the fish supply. But the point is that these foreigners have caught Australians "napping," and if their wits are not as sharp as the foreigners', well, serve them right! Some day, perhaps, in New Zealand and Australia the Governments will construct federal legislation that will define the maximum profit that n trader in anything may obtain fnr his coo'ls. In the meantime, New Zealanders who pay more for the privilege of eating than Australians will watch that Royal Commission with interest.