THE CONSUMERS' BURDEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 67, 19 March 1915, Page 3

THE CONSUMERS' BURDEN.

SOARING FOOD PRICES. PROTEST FROM WORKERS. GOVERNMENT'S MASTERLY l INACTIVITY. * \ " i The increasing cost of living was the 4 occasion of an animated discussion at a i meeting of the Labour Representation. ] Committee, which consists of delegates 1 of twenty-three trades unions, which i took place at the Trades Hall last night. < Mr. Wesley Richards expressed the I opinion that the Government were I neither able nor willing to tackle the situation. He pointed out that numer- < ous municipalities and public bodies had ! passed resolutions urging the Govern- ' ment to take up the matter, but, so far, j nothing of a practical nature had been attempted. • Mr. B. Martin, in the course of utter- ' ing similar sentiments, declared that the Government were not in sympathy with ' the. great mass of the people, who are ' suffering from the effects of high prices, '. which he contended were not justified. Mr. M. J. Savage commented strongly ■ about the people who, he said, under the . cloak of patriotism were exploiting the ' j public unnecessarily. The New South ! , Wales Government, he remarked, were ■ attempting to deal with the situation, j while the British Government were deal- | ling with it resolutely, wnereas our Gov- . crnment, in what was claimed to be the . I most democratic country-of the Empire, | were simply sitting still. I After further discussion, the following resolution was carried unanimously:—- ---' ''That owing to the -growing dissatisfac- . tion with the inactivity of the Government in dealing with the abnormal situation arising out of the war, whereby the people are being ruthlessly exploited by individuals controlling the necessaries of life, this meeting considers it to be the duty of Cabinet to immediately call Parliament together, in. order that the representatives of the people may take a hand in with the situation."