The Daily News. TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1916. WAR AS AN EXPLOITING LEVER.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 April 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1916. WAR AS AN EXPLOITING LEVER.

A correspondent in this issue, who writes upon the subject of "Possibilities," asks this question: "What is the use of people professing Christianity, yet acti»g like savages to their own kind in their unholy greed to amass wealth by any and every kind of means?" We do not pretend to answer this query, nor do we think it -will be satisfactorily cleared up, but it opens up the whole question of the eagerness displayed o» all sides, and wherever possible, to make as big a pile as can be gathered in from any and every source during the progress of the war. It is one of the most painful phases of this terrible time'of national trial and stress that the war should be used as ft lever for exploiting the public, for it is the masses who, in the long run, bear all the burdens. There is scarcely an article of trade and commerce that has not been raised in price "on account of the war," and the pity of it is that in numerous instances there has been no justification for the rise. The opportunity for reaping a rich harvest presented itself and was promptly seized by all whose selfish greed impelled them to seek big profits out of a world-wide disaster of unprecedented magnitude. A striking illustration of the use of the war exploitation lever is given in connection with the recent embargo on the export of hides of over 4f>lbs weight. This matter formed the chief topic of discussion at a special meeting of the Taranaki Provincial Executive of the Farmers' Union last week, and those who have read the published report of the proceedings cannot fail to have been struck with the number of interests that' were affected by that embargo. The farmer who sold his cattle found to his sorrow that tke embargo had been utilised to reduce the buying price to the extent, in some cases of two shillings per 1001b. The average deduction per head of cattle may be taken at twelve shillings. Naturally the butchers fallowed suit, and required a reduction in the price of cows soil for beef, They also raised the price of meat to the consumers, so that the latter had to bear their' share of the exploitation. Up went the price of leather, and again the public had to pay, and all because the Government had not taken the onlj fit course under the circumstances : commandeered the necessary tanneries and a sufficiency of hides. Instead, they let contracts for boots, and then the exploitation ball was set rolling. The contractors complained of the price of leather, and the tanners replied that on account of the high prices of hides for export they were unable to buy as cheaply as before, their profits in c»nsequence not being so large, so they asked for an embargo by the Government so as to restrict the export trade, and (though they kept this dark) thus enable them to offer any price tiiey liked. A cemplaecnt, but by no menns wide-awake, Government rose to the bait, fixing ninepence as the minimum price, with the result that the minimum speedily became and remained the maximum price. Now the tanners and speculators had the Dall at their feet, for it any business was to be done it must be on their terms, and they have not failed to make use of the golden opportunity of acquiring large stocks at a cheap rate, so that the removal of the embargo will allow them to export at a good profit. It must be remembered that in New Zealand it does not pay the farmers to keep their bullocks till five years old before selling, so that the quantity of the best heavy hides available here is small. The freezing companies are in the best position, aa they can either sell or hold as they please, but ithi 5 is not the case with the small men, so they have taken care to do the best they can for themselves. The result o? the embargo has cost the country | thousands of pounds. Had the State secured control of the business all profits would have gone to relieve taxation instead of into the exploiters' pockets. It was a sorry business, and the resolution passed by the Taranaki Executive was thoroughly justified; the only regret is that action in this direction was not taken very much sooner.

it wag necessary to proclaim to the German people thai they should only believe the reports of their own military authorities, for reports emanating from enemy sources were unworthy of credence. The trick is as old as the hills, and instead of attaining its object should create very strong suspicion that it is meant to delude rather than to induce confidence. We have only to bear in mind the notorious and deliberate untruths made by Gernany to America concerning the sinking of unarmed ships, the latest .case in point being the Sussex. Again and again have German official messages claiming enormous captures and inflicting prodigious losses been promptly denied. In fact, a recital of their wilful misrepresentations would (ill many pages. On Saturday another denial of German claims came from France. The habit of deception has so become a part and parcel of militarism that it is now a sturdy and thoroughly developed ckaracteristic, as pronounced as the bombast which js the prominent feature of all the utterances of the military caste, from the Kaiser downwards. Turkey has put forward no claim for truthfulness, so that the recent communique from Constantinople to the effect that the British had left three thousand dead in front of their lines at Felahie may justly be regarded as a mendacious fabrication. General Lake's reply to the statement states that the total casualties —killed and wounded—were much below this amount, and this report -nay be taken as absolutely accurate. It j s quite probable there was heavy fighting and that the British losses were proportionately large, but as a recent unofficial message from London since the Felahie affair indicates that the outlook in Mesopotamia is regarded as hopeful, there is no occasion for anxiety in that quarter. There is no necessity for the enemy to have so little regard for truth, fliese untruthful boasts do not create alarm among the .people of the Allies, nor is it likely they inspire confidence among enemy people. We liave long since learned to be cautious in accepting enemy statements, and this attitude wil' certainly continue to the end of the war.