TUESDAY, JAN. 16, 1900.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 96, 16 January 1900, Page 2

TUESDAY, JAN. 16, 1900.

PROBABLY the Premier wii: Lave his hands full with some of t&e members of his party when Parliament meets. Some of the members have been returned on the distinct understanding that they are to do something of a very radical character, in return for the votes they iiave received. Some of these members are youngish men and no doult sincerely anxious to do "Something to redeem their pledges and justify their election! The Government, well satisfied with their great success, will, in all likelihood,— be fairy content to lie on their oars and let the barque of State float gently aud peacefully down the gliding stream of prosperity. This will hardly satisfy the bolder spirits They will v/ant an advance- a step forward. They will not be content to simply glide. They will demand that something be done to satisfy the Radical or Socialist portion of the electors. Already it is rumoured that the chief demand of the party will be that the Government having practically a State bank, having gone into the ' money-lending, life assurance, and various other kinds of business with consider-

able suceebs, should now go into still one more — that, in point of fact it should take upon itself to supply the people with one of the most useful and ordinary requirements — namely, a thoroughly good drapery establishment. Why not ? If the Government supply posts, telegraphs, rail-ways, education, lends money, insures life, and does a variety of similar things, why should it not go into the drapery business ? The advantages the Government establishment would have would be nnormous. First, no large profits would be required. The Government drapery store would only berequiiedto pay expenses, and say 4 or 5 per cent, on the capital employed. Thus it could afford to sell at a little over cost price and a large saving would result to its customers. Secondly, the Government always buy for spot cash and thus get the beavy discounts that now iorm no inconsiderable part of the draper's profits, and of course the customers would get the benefit. Thirdly, little or no advertising would be required. Everyone would see very shortly the advantage of dealing with the Government shop, and it would be quite unnecessary to trumpet its virtue to world the in the style ot" Bro •> n's Infallable Pills or Jones' Never Known to Fail ointment. Fourthly there would be no occasion to pay any high rents for premises. There would be no need for the Government store to secure at all costs a corner for itself or even to hang out its banners in th/> main or principal street. An 3' street or bye place that was faiily handy for the bulk of the people would do. " Good wine needb no bush," and when people found they could be served better and more cheaply in a certain place than anywhere els?, to that place, assuredly they would go ii it was at all decently get-at-able. Such are some of the arguments of those who advocate this somewhat startling extension of the State's functions. It* it be sug gested to these people that this proposal means ruin, perhaps to many employees and others engaged already in the draper} trade, they answer •No !' They say that as the Government business increases it will simplj* take over and absorb the private businesses, the employees, generally speaking, merely transferring employers, becoming the employees of the State instead of private persons. It certainly seems difficult to draw the line logically a& to what kindß of business the Government may go into, and what it may not. It has already gone into several — why not others — and why not into drapery, since drapery is wellknown to be one of the most profitable occupations in the mercantile world of New Zealand ? Loss in a Government store would almost be an impossibility, even under very commonplace management, and under skilful management the . people might be supplied with what they require at a great reduction on what they now pay. Of course in such a store there would be no "boss" hungering &nd thirsting to be a millionaire, and anxious to make profits out of both his goods and his workpeople, and it could afford to pay its employees much higher wages than private establishments do at present. We leave it to our readers to consider these somewhat remarkable arguments advanced by the " forward " party in support of this, their latest suggestion.