The Daily News. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1911. "BEYOND THE DREAMS OF AVARICE."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 83, 28 September 1911, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1911. "BEYOND THE DREAMS OF AVARICE."

During one of Bismarck's visits to London he is reported to have observed the astounding evidences of wealth on all hands and to have growled, "What a city to loot!" That was long ago, when the earth was much poorer in apparent wealth. Mr. George Paish, whose forte is figures and who edits the Statist, lately remarked: "No feature of modern life lias struck the popular imagination more than display of wealth which is so conspicuous in all parts of the world." In remarking on the profusion of money the eminent statistician gives ample evidence of the increase, showing that quite ordinary people nowadays enjoy luxuries great potentates could not purchase a generation or two hack. He instances the world's floating palaces, the network of railways, the millions of motor cars, the extraordinary conveniences in all the world's most beautiful spots for the pleasure of people antidotal to the more strenuous life of modern times. The enormous sums spent on dress, the unthinkable loads of sovereigns put into the beautiftcation of cities and homes, the healthful luxuries that were once considered superfluities, the revolution in instruction and amusement, the declining death-rate, the advance of medical science, the improvement of physical fitness—all those are reviewed and shown to be the effect of the increase in private and public wealth. It is obvious that all this additional expenditure upon defence, upon recreation, upon travel, upon ornamentation, upon clothing, upon housing, upon education, upon literature, and upon the preservation of health, could only have been effected concurrently with a vastly increased expenditure upon food. Indeed, the immensely greater sums available for the purchase of food, and the vast increase in the supply of food, have alone rendered possible the expenditures upon necessaries, comforts and luxuries. Never has the world enjoyed as much food in proportion to its population as it has secured in modern times, and, consequently, never has the world been as healthy, as well clothed and housed, had greater warmth in winter, had as many intellectual advantages, possessed as many comforts, and enjoyed so high, a state of luxury as it does to-day. In fact, ''la joie <!e vivre" lias rapidly broadened and deepened, and all ranks, classes and sections of society in the new and in the old countries, in the backward as well as the progressive state, in the brown, yellow and black races as well as in the white, have attained a degree of wealth and prosperity immeasurably higher and greater than anything that has hitherto been witnessed. Mr. Paish holds that the greater diffusion of prosperity and progress has been achieved by wider knowledge and sounder principles of social welfare, that the world is reaching economic maturity, and that although the process is far from complete, the advantages already gained from the removal of the physical barriers—and some, of the economic ones, too —which divided continent from continent, and country from country, are so remarkable that, as the work advances and the nations more fully recognise the solidarity of their interests, tra world can look forward to a degree of well-being for the race far beyond the dreams of the dreamer. The astounding fact is mentioned that Great Britain has in twenty years found three thousand millions of sovereigns for the world's railways—the greatest work any nation lias ever accomplished. Great Britain has done more for mankind than merely providing other countries with great

amounts of her savings for the develop- j ment of their natural resources. The I immense increase in the production of j foodstuffs, of wool, of cotton, of tobacco, i of tea, of rubber, and of other agricultural produce in the various countries of the world, has been largely due to the capital supplied to farmers, ranchers and planters by the British people; and the vast expansion in the production of minerals of all kinds and descriptions from the precious metals to iron ore, coal and oil has been mainly brought about by the great sums placed by Great Britain at the service of labor in every land. By the increase of wealth and the tremendous progress in transport that followed and other facilities provided mainly by England, tens of millions of persons have been enabled to escape from poverty and want in the older countries to affluence in the new, and great nations have been created which enjoy a high standard of comfort and luxury. The amount of capital which Great Britain has supplied to colonial and foreign countries of the world for use beyond their own shores is stupendous. In Mr. Paish'a glowing and optimistic essay there is no cloud. He holds that the world is physically better and more mentally alert than ever before and that Great Britain is, so to speak, the fairy godmother of all nations. There are those who, although they know that there has been a tremendous advance in the bulk of apparent wealth, still hold that its dessimination is disproportionate and unfair. And Mr. Paish stirred some very eminent folk up to reply. What they had to say we will discuss in to-morrow's issue.

THE MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE. The decision of the Hon. T. Mackenzie, Minister for Agriculture, to offer his service! to the electors of Egmont, will, we aro sure, meet with much satisfaction not only in the electorate itself, hut in the province of Taranaki generally. For there can foe no question that a man of his calibre, his attainments, his breadth of view, his great capacity for work, and the high and honorable position he occupies in the Government of the country, would be an invaluable acquisition to any constituency, any district or any province. The hon. gentleman occupies rather a singular position in the political firmament of the country. He enjoys the confidence of both Government supporter and Opposition supporter. The producers throughout the country trust him; they feel that he is doing his best for them, that he is making a big success of the work of his department, and that they can always rely on getting "a fair deal," and they lose no opportunity of putting on- record their appreciation of his services. Past experience of his work justifies their faith. Probably no man in the present Cabinet possesses in the same degree the confidence of all sections of the people, and this is brought about by the fact that since his accession to Ministerial office he has put the interests of the country, or, more properly speaking, the interests of the important department he controls, before the interests of party. He is not an extremist, not one who looks at one side of the picture only and forgets that there is another side and that there are other people to consider besides the adherents of the particular party he is identified with. "Measures, not men," has been his motto. No trouble is too gireat for him; he is always "approachable" and ready to extend any help in his power, as Taranaki people have already found. We hope he will be returned for Egmont. Jf he professed a different political creed his return would be none the less welcomed or appreciated by us, for we recognise that a man of his personality, his parts and influence must prove an asset of considerable worth to his constituents and the rest of the peoplo of Taranaki. If he identifies himself with the interests of Egmont he must necessarily identify himself with the interests of the province as a whole, because the two are inseparable. There never was a time in the history of the province when wise leadership and political sagacity were more necessary than they are to-day. It is no use blinding ourselves to the fact that politically Taranaki has in recent years been in the "baiokwash," and that we have not received that consideration or attention at the hands of the Powers that lie which the growing importance of the province warrants. By this we do not infer that this condition of thing's is due to the constituencies being represented of late by men holding views opposed to the Government. What we mean is that we have suffered because of the indifferent quality of the representation we have had. Entirely apart from their politics, most of the Taranaki representatives have been far from successes and have done little to.advance either their own political reputations or the interests of their constituents or the country as a whole. In saying this, we are not un-

mindful of the fact that the men have honestly given of their best and striven to their utmost to do their duty by everybody. The fact remains, however, that as a whole they are a particularly weak team, who have made little or no impression, and, owing to their obvious limitations and deficiencies, cannot ,be expected to if they are given a renewal of their term of office. Xo constituency in Taraimki has suffered from weak representation more than Egmont. and this is why we are pleased that, the Hon. T. Mackenzie haa decided to offer his services to the electors and why we look forward to his return. If the contending candidates are judged on their nun-its and voted for accordingly, there can be no doubt as to the outcome of the contest.