The Daily News. SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 1920. THE PREMIER'S MESSAGE.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1920, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 1920. THE PREMIER'S MESSAGE.

The keynote of the Premier's New Year message to the people of the Dominion is loyalty, industry and progress, while the dominant one is that all classes should work wholeheartedly for the comruon good, avoiding bickering "and quibbling over trifles, and concentrating on the essentials that will ensure the happiness and prosperity of'the country and its people. It will be noted, however, that the need for economy finds no place in the pronouncement. . A serious responsibility rests oil the Prime Minister and his colleagues in the Ministry 1 to set a real esamole of economy

iii all 'departments, by eoneentrating on essentials and using the pruning knife vigorously in all other directions, more especially in the Defence Department. The reminder that there is much to be done in the way of meeting our responsibilities arising from the war falls far short of the total of the country's responsibilities, inasmuch as it does not take into account the heavy arrears of public works, the urgent demands for development, research and education, besides the vigorous prosecution of hydro-electric and housing schemes. Never before is the history of New Zealand has there been such a formidable need for financial resources to meet absolute requirements apart from expenditure connected with the war and repatriation. It may confidently be assumed, however, that the requisite funds will be furnished, and the work of the Government facilitated, if a careful check is kept on, and value obtained for, all expenditure. Though there is no direct appeal made to the workers to avoid industrial strife, they may be included in the general statement that "All classes.must work wholeheartedly together for the common good, .remembering that as a house divided against itself cannot stand, so a country divided against itself cannot prosper." It is, perhaps, too much to expect that strife will ever be entirely eliminateU. Human nature is perverse, and very I foolish at times. A great many workers only think of shorter hours and higher wages. They do not comprehend that a lessening of production brings about a searcity of goods and consequent higher prices, and that increased wages are often but an ephemeral benefit. The lessening of effort is a feature of the presen't'mdustrial situation. The idea prevails that a decrease in production provides work for a greater number of workers. Nothing could be more erroneous. Such restriction causes less work. Nothing stands, still in this world, industrially or botanically. If production does not increase it will diminish, and the more production there is the more work there must be, and consequently the cheaper the cost of living. These are truths so bbvioUs that the wonder is they are not more fully comprehended by a greater number of workers. Unfortunately they get no guidance from their leaders, who, as a rule, hold extreme views and believe in "direct action" methods. They are the greatest danger confronting New Zealand to-day. Probably no other country in the world is so fortunately placed as we are, and there is no reason why we should not still further improve the lot of every unit in it, if we but recognised our duty to one another, and united to make the country produce more and thereby raise the standard of living and comfort. The same spirit that characterised the part we played in the war and in the epidemic only requires to-be again manifested to make New Zealand, with its great natural advantages, the most prosperous and the most contented 1 country in the world. There should ! be no justification for the existence of extremists in such a fair land. It is 1 all the more necessary for the Government to remove any legitimate cause of discontent, es- ; pecially in connection with the exploitation in the necessaries of , life; provide greater opportanities • for the people, especially in obtaining and working land; carefully deflate the currency, which is one of the causes of the rise in the price of goods: arid make every ', effort to rail, road and generally onen up the country. "We believe Mr. Massey's message will be accepted in the spirit which prompted its issue, and that if the Government make good, as it is to be hoped it will, there need be no fear of the people doiiig their part towards "placing the country.™ a sounder and more satisfactory position than ever it has yet occupied."