WAR SACRIFICES.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 May 1917, Page 2

WAR SACRIFICES.

EVERYBODY MUST BE PREPARE!'. MINISTERIAL REPLY TO DAIRY FARMERS. Interesting and pregnant remarks were made by the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald (Minister of Agriculture and Commerce and President of the Board of Trade) to a deputation of representatives of North Island dairy fanning interests which waited on him in Palmerston last week. The deputation discussed with him at length the grievance of the three-farth-ings per lb levy on butter-fat, which it was urged, pressed very heavily on many small, struggling dairy farmers, who .n Beverul caies were, as the result of the operation of the levy earning far Jess than laborers' wages. The cost of labor had gone up enormously, and in any case labor was scarce, and in some cases inefficient, while the cost of commodities required in the dairy industry had gone up from 30 to 50 per cent., although me price of produce had at the most increased by 45 per cent.

REASONS FOR INTERVENTION. Replying, the Minister taid the deputation had to remember that before the Government took action butter was selling at Is 8d per lb retail, although oefore the war the price at that time of (he year had never exceeded Is 3d. They were not concerned about the price being Is Bd, knowing the high price that it was reaching in London. Then it appeared that the wholesale merchants we:e likely to put the price up to Is lid and 2s a lb, and the question arose as to what the figure would ultimaMy be. As a matter of fact, if the Government had allowed speculators and others to run riot there was no doubt that the price would have gone up to 2s Cd before the end of the summer. Personally he did not think it was in the interests of anybody in the Dominion to rush prices up and to allow speculators to have their own way. However, Mr. Massey told the whole of the dairying population distinctly that if butter went up above Is 7d he would prohibit export, but instead of that the three-farthing levy was fixed. He thought it was fairly plain that the price was a fair one—about 4Jd per lb more than the price ruling at that time of the year before the war. If the Government had not taken the steps it did practically the whole of the butter in the Dominion would have been exported, or the Government would have had to purchase the whole or a portion of the output at the rates then ruling in London. It was no ploasure to the Government to harass the farmer in any way.

NOT YET REALISED. A great many people did not seem yet to realise where they were in connection With the war. Every other ocuntry in the world had had to put up with restriction of food supply. In Englano tlift supply for every man, woman, and child was restricted, and only so much meat, butter, and sugar, for instance, could bo purchased. In New Zealand, we were absolutely free, and received higher prices for our produce than ever before, notwithstanding the butter-fat levy. They knew that in other countries restrictions were imposed, and yet in New Zealand every section of the community appeared to think that it was singled out hy the Government for unjust treatment with a desire to harass it in some way or other. There was no man or woman in New Zealand, except those who had sustained the loss of a son or a relative at the front, who was worse off as the result of the war. The v were living/in a paradise compared with those living in some other countries. Considering tlio prices and the conditions under which they wire living, he could not see any great reason why the farmer should make any protest. No doubt the farmer had as hard a row to hoe as anybody, and in some cases, owing to financial obligations, they were up against a hard proposition, hut those cases were exceptional, and no Government could possibly legislate for exceptional cases. As to the case of men in the back country,, who had taken up Jand recently, he thought it was a great mistake for them to complain of these conditions. Any one who purchased property or stock at war prices could'not expect those prices to be maintained after the'war. If they I purchased land on the basis of butter at Is Od a lb as against lOd before the war they must inevitably collapse, because they knew perfectly well that no sane commercial man would expect pre- | sent prices to continue after the war was over.

• A WRONG IDEA. ■ There must be some lowering of prices (continued!the Minister), and if people made their financial arrnagements on the basis that war prices would continue after the war he would be sorry for the future financial welfare of the Dominion-, and he did not think that anybody should be encouraged in the idea that these prices would continue, because that was absolutely wrong, There had evidently been a great deal of dissatisfaction, and lie was convinced that if ne had had tno opportunity of meeting the dairy people throughout New Zealand and of telling them the exact position, there would have been no more talk' about it. However, ho had had his hands , more than full, and had been unable to do so.

SHIPPING SHORTAGE. The Minister went on to say that fiinie the arrangement had been made there had been a serious shortage of shippina. and even now there was no certainty of any ship leaving New Zealand reaching its destination. In making its arrangements the Imperial Government had put 011 one side all questions of individual ■profit, or anything of that' sort. It did not want to know how much they could make out of the war, but' how much they could afford to help to win the war. The Imperial Government had helped New Zealand as far as it possibly could, and the presence in England of Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph ■ Ward had been invaluable. If they had not been there we would have had many more difficulties than we have had. He was quite prepared to admit that farmers were laboring under great difficulties. It was 110 use anybody denying the fact, because they knew that the great, majority of ,tlie laborers who understood that particular industry had left for the war, anS the great majority of the farmers wera working with makeshift labor and payiug higher rates.

UP AGAINST THE CRUCIAL TEST. The Government fully recognised tjje loyalty and patriotism of thoae engaged in the producing industries, but they were right up against a crucial teat in connection with the war, and had to make every possible effort. They did not want to see disunited sections of the 'commuuitv. The Government could not

carry on satisfactorily unless it had tlia sympathy aiul support of every section of ] the community. The tail was to he regarded as a war policy measure, anl when the war was over there would be a readjustment and matters would be put right. He could not make any promise at tliop rcsont time, but he was very Bure they would close the account probably by the end of June, and it would be for Parliament to say what should be done after that. For the rest, they could be assured that every possible source of taxation would be tapped during the next session of Parliament. The Government had to get money, but whatever money had to be obtained for war purposes, lie hoped the adjustment would be made in a fair and equitable manner, bo as not to unduly affect any section of the public.