NATIONAL ECONOMY.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 6976, 15 February 1918, Page 2

NATIONAL ECONOMY.

What Might be Done.

In a circular letter pointing out. what might be voluntarily done in the way of National economy the "National Economy League" points out thai; we have about 200,000 households iv this little country, and if iv each of these homes of five persons there is an average daily waste of only one ounce of butter one ounce of sugar one ounce of tea four ounces of bread and four ounces of meat then there is a total yearly loss to the world's much needed supply, which, without, verifying the figures, is alnijst beyond belief. These apparently insignificant; quantities wasted 'in each New Zealand household daily make a gross annual loss of— 2,000 tons of butter, being the yield from 32,000 cows 65,000 seventy pound bags of sugar 455,000 ten pound boxes of tea.. 300,000 bushed of wheat, being the yield of 10,000 acres uud 300,000 fat wethers or 26,000----fat bullocks. These quantities arc more than sufficient to feed the whole of our New Zealand Expeditionary Force?, whether in camps or in hospitals, on: transports or at the Front. If placed .<upo.ii the European market they would feed 100.000 starving people, and incidentally bring in an additional million and a quarter sterling to the Dominion." We graze or feed upon corn nearly half a million lioraes iv this country,' and it is safe to assume that about 100,000 of thorn serve uo useful or economic purpose, and do not pay for their keep. Thus again we fail to send their equivalent of an additional 100,000 bullocks to relieve a world stricken with hunger, and at tlio sarue time to strengthen our resources to the extent of another million and a half sterling. If only 20,000 of our car owners run but live miles a day for pleasure we will burn a quarter of a milliou cases of benziue in the year, possibly quite sufficient bo meet all our industrial and commercial requirements. Instances innumerable may be cited whereof the results would tend to make thoughtful people think ; others may be incapable of exercising 'thought or unwilling to do so uut:l the example of their follows brings the necessity home to them. We have purposely refrained from laying stress upon the saving of money by the individual, because, as already stated, this does not so much concern "•■ ;>.- i nation, but, as it will at least aiipe.'1 •■-»■ our traditional instinct of nijuLj odviug, it may be stated that the added value of these small savings would atnouut each year to several milliou pounds sterling: enough iv fact to pay our customs duties, land tax, income tax, and death duties, leaving us a free peeple indeed, and that in more senses than one. There are interesting sidelights .on. the question which could profitably be made a subject of public discussion. For instance, there are many persons well qualified to judge, who believe that the present surprising virility of the German people is not duo Xo an ordinary food supply but rather to a salutary condition of enforced abstinence. Their energies arc not thus wasted upon llio worse thau useless effort to produce, transport, eou-. sumo, and assimilate more food thau i:; ti<jue;r;ary for their sustenance, The result may easily bo that they are iv the enjoyment of abounding health and possess a greater capacity thau ever for making a supreme and sustained effort,