The Daily News. TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1919. DOMINION ECONOMICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 January 1919, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1919. DOMINION ECONOMICS.

At no time in the world's history has political economy become a greater or more complex problem than it is to-day The great war has upset pre-existing conditions to so large an extent that every nation and every Dominion will have to face a situation replete with problems of immense import, needing the highest gifts of statesmanship and the most far-seeing vision to adjust. The generally accepted definition of economics, or political economy, conveys the impression that it is the science which treats of the laws ot production, distribution and exchange of wealth. This practically covers the whole gamut of man's activity, as well as organisation and legislative control, but above all the attainment of efficiency and a cordial relati )i"ihip between capilal and labor In the case of a great producing country like New Zealand where the work of development is still in process, the need fpr workers has always been very great and the drain of the Euro-

need and severely handicapped production, besides contributing to the, industrial unrest due to the fact of the demand for workers being greater than the supply, and this has placed a weapon in their hands which has been used arbitrarily, and in some cases ruthlessly, to compel compliance with their demands. This is, however, an exploitation that has not boor con Lined to the workers, but lias permeated all sections of the com-' iniinitv who, impelled by the lu,:t , of greed, have striven to reap a rich, harvest out of the horrors of the war. The time has now arrived when the scale will be turned so far as supply and demand are concerned, for uot only are our soldiers returninc to resnms theiv

civil occupations, but a competition is arising among the Dominions to attract after-war emigration from Britain. Beyond a! question the first concern of em ployers in the Dominion should b( to provide work for returned sol diers—the men who cheerfully obeyed the call of duty and wen forth to protect the Empire fron being absorbed by the Germai military octopus. According to ; recent statement made by tin secretary of the Returned Soldiers Association, that organisation i: experiencing a difficulty in secur ing work for the men who liav< lately returned. This, possibly may be due to some extent to mos of these men having been invalid ed back to New Zealand and beinj more or less unfitted for heavy work, and employment suitable t< their capacity being insufficient t< go round. It will not be long however, before the fall tide of re turning men will set in, and thi difficulty will grow as the arrivals increase. In addition it has to b< borne in mind that Mr. Massey and the High Commissioner hav< done a certain amount of propa ganda work in Britain having foi its object the securing of emigrants from Britain after the war If they come, as probably thej will, in large numbers, what is going to happen? The country is practically pledged to give pre t'erence of employment to our returned soldiers, and this pledgr should be loyally observed, the men being reabsorbed into the occupations which they left on entering military service, for they deserve at the hands of the employers and the people the most generous_ and appreciative treatment it is possible to give them. Mr. Massey has stated that the time will come when Hie Dominion will contain a population of many millions, but what is he, and his colleagues in the Ministry, doing towards applying the science oi economies to the Dominion? Urgently as the country needs population to develop its resources there is as yet no move in view towards organising either for facilitating the return of soldiers to civil employment, or for opening up avenues of usefulness for immigrants._ Apparently the Government is waiting for inspiration, and not only is the country suffering, but so are the returned soldiers. New Zealand can profitably absorb all the immigrants she can secure, for in her primary products alone there is room for several millions, but not under present conditions. The climate and fertility of the soil are most favorable for intense cultivation and subdivision. There are millions of acres lying in idleness or only very slightly productive, yet the Government has 'spent over a million sterling in buying land on ■which to settle merely a, few of the 27,000 men who have returned. If the National Government has an economic policy it is very successfully kept out of view, but time presses and the leaders of the Go. vernment are absent, so nothing can be done. Two or three years ago the Government was urged to organise for the development of the Dominion's resources, yet nothing has been done to meet the great after-war problems affecting the Dominion's economic success. Meanwhile taxation has largely increased, and so has the cost of living, while the national debt has attained large proportions, and every day lost in tackling the economic problem means much to the people of the country The nebulous programme of public Avorks, so essential for developmental progress, should be brought down to earth, and prompt measures taken to deal with repatriation and land settlement. The people of the Dominion have the right to demand that these pressing matters should be at once desided, and they will be quite justified in exercising that right.