Bay Of Plenty Times SATURDAY, SEPT. 25th, 1915. THE NEED FOR ECONOMY.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 6497, 25 September 1915, Page 2

Bay Of Plenty Times SATURDAY, SEPT. 25th, 1915. THE NEED FOR ECONOMY.

ONE of the greatest lessors which the war is sending to us is that the things essential to cur existence are very few, and it will be to our hurt when the war is over if we forget that fact. The national iinaneial problem is to be settled by personal economy. Ths millions of the war bill are to be paid by the saved pence of the people. "Everything we buy that we do not need diminishes our resources for investment, and employs labour that might be given to war work of some kind," says the Manchester Guardian. "Every superfluous ounce we use of I necessary articles decreases the supply and increases the price without profit to anyone save the vendor. To take a case that is in ail minds at present, every domestic lire that is lighted because the wind chances to take a turn contributes to making fires impossible for thousands of the poorest in the; coming winter. We can produce the required munitions and other supplies for our forces and the forces of our Allies in no other way than by ceasing to consume luxurias and unnecessariee, and so diverting into the increased production of war materials and supplies the productive energy thus 'saved,' " say the Nation. "Every clas3 will "bo required to undergo what it will regard as heavy sacrifices in its 'standard of comfort,' if the financial needs of this war are to be met. Private motor-cars, expensive and pleasurable holiday?, consumption of alcohol and tobacco, smart clothes, literature, education, and philanthrophy, to name a few among the many objects of expenditure, must largely disappear. Everybody must be forced to realise that every pound expended upon these or any other forms ot luxury'W satisfaction in?no■? a pound's less production of arms, ur ammunition, or'war stores, '

or of the m>ans t» buy them « abroad." "There »," Ly 8 « A *?* bs - that saving n actuaHyto be avoided 1 that expenditure, no mattir whatT nature, is desirable, in order t 3 l employment. Nathinj could b> Ll* rnucbievou. in present cireum^ than such an id«. Taka ce^ concrete in st,nce3 of expenditure " illustrations. If a man orders! motor-car now, not only ra, v, much less for investment, but he • employing labour in making his '* which might otherw is , Lo J jin thf direct service of th 3 State • some form o; other. If he 1,,^" sarily adds to or builds a hou<e he i, again not only employing labour U n necessarily, but he is causing mk > nals, B^h as timber which have to he paid for. to be imported f rom oth , f countries. Again, if coal is unneces warily used, labour , 5 unneeeamii," employed, prices are raised, and tr export of coal abroad hindered Tako again the wasteful consumption of food or tobscco or petrol. The^ articles must also b« imported and paid for. Unnecessary expenditure therefore involves the diversion of labour from war purposes, larger -i m . poiti. and less exports." What car, you do without?