CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 162, 15 December 1914, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE.

. TUB RELIEF FUND AND DAIRY COMPANIES. the Editor. Sir,—By a circular issued by the Moa Dairy Company, a general meeting of suppliers is convened for the 19th, to pass a resolution to deduct one half per cent from all cheques paid out for . butterfat until tlie end of the war, in aid of relief or war funds. I hope those who are interested will make a point of attending the meeting, and discuss the subject before the resolution is passed. .To my mind it is a matter which needs consideration, as a great number of us .have already contributed all we can af,ford at present through having been '.led by our directors to believe there would be no levy on cheques, and all J donations were to be voluntary. Per- ! sonally I have not the great objection I to the amount of proposed levy, but. J.I have most decided objections to the principle involved. I would also like to know how all the money that is and has been collected for the Belgian relief .fund is being used. If the Germans were capable of robbing them of all their stores of food in the first place and mutilating and ravishing women and . children they would only look on it as a , joke to eat up the food we are supplying. .It is also about time only duly authorised persons were allowed to collect money as last week I had lists presented at aiy door soliciting money, and it is quite within the grounds of probability some are making a rise out of it. Instead of makings further levies .by companies it would be much better for the Government to put on a direct tax if necessary, the dairy companies, etc., in Taranaki are contributing far more in proportion than the grain grow,er and the sheep farmer. Whereas the grain grower and the sheep farmer will reap a rich harvest as the result of the war, it is very improbable if the the dairy farmer will receive the ordinary normal price for his produce, and when the war is over have to face a decided ' slump in prices. Owing to the foresight of the Government, mortgagees cannot foreclose for non-payment of principle for mortgages coming due. But, when .the war is over, as »n tiie past, after a trying time the money-lenders will recoup themselves at the expense of those who must have recourse to them to finance mortgages or conclude the purchase of a leasehold. All those who must go on the market to borrow will then either have to pay a high rate of interest or lose the product of y<?ars of ]n.l)or. Sheep farmers and graziers are already receiving abnormal prices for wool and fat stock. On the declaration of war I know of farmers and merchants who immediately advanced oats from fid to Is per bushel and chaff from one to two pounds a ton, and one miller, as I know, immediately raised his flour in stock an additional 20s a ton, and has been advancing it ever since. There are again some who are holding wheat to endeavor to further inflate the price of wheat to seven shillings a bushel. As wc dairy farmers of Inglewood and surrounding districts will certainly find our cost of living, and price of all seeds and fertilizers etc., greatly increased, and hftvj g already coiiliil'iited libcrall? to thi: various funds, and also through the .Farmers' Company, Butter Box Company. and Bacon Factory, and so far received prices below normal for ou>- but-ter-fat, it would be as well to find out in t.hat proportion those arc cont'ibu--tirig who are forcing up our cost of liv- ! lag, and at the same time reaping a mh harvest br so doing, before we de/id* to f'iittier In ourselves. Apologia l iu: for trespassing so much o> your valuable l.t't pleadiu" in extenuation cf so doing the only way to reach those interested in our district is per medium of the Daily News, —I am, etc., H. A. HUUIT. Waiongona, December 10, 1914. TATTMARTTNTTT ELECTORATE. (To the Editor.) Sir,—ln your issue of to-day's date a slight mistake has appeared in your returns. For instanee, you show Tongaporutu :.Tennings 14, Wilson 3. Now. as there were two booths here, one at the Public I-lall, Tongaporutu, and another at the Tongaporutu ferry (but Tongaporutu ferry is non-existent now the bridge has been over the river for the past twelve years), I consider this booth so-called Tonpagorutu ferry and the number of voters at the hall should be grouped, and then we would find: Tongaporutu, Jennipgs 39, Wilson 29. At the Public Hall Jennings polled 25, Wilson 2(1. The result as regards the licensing poll is us follows, as recorded at the Hall only:—Local Option: Continuance 30, No-license 20; National Option: Continuance 28, Prohibition 22.—1 am, etc., ' _ ELECTOR.