The Duty of Thrift.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15511, 11 February 1916, Page 6

The Duty of Thrift.

\Y ithin the nasi; few days tho advo-i cacy »>f thrift has takon a new turii m Groat Britain. Until very lately ifwas thought that if the necessity foj." thrift wero continuously emphasised or a the platform and in the Press, tlo public wouid set to work to save i i.6 pennies by reducing their ponsumpii dii of luxuries and making a mor 0 prudfmt disposition oi' their consumption of necessaries. But tho appeal, aj. a member of the Cabinet said a few flays ago, has fallon upon deaf ears, and practical steps must be taken by) the Government to make compulsory ihe performance of a great national, duty which will not be performed voluntarily. So we find advocated w/.th increasing emphasis tho imposition of reformative taxation of a drastic kind and the tightening uj> of the. restrictions upon importation. It was still hoped, so lately as Christmas, tf jat thrift could be established by exportation. "The Times" urged the Government to givo the nation "a lead" by making a specially impressive appeal for economy and by setting -an example of thrift in the - spending of the State. This was a last attempt to proclaim the adequacy of voluntaryism. If the Govcrnmen/u are conspicuously failing to keep ;a watchful eye upon expenditure, nothing will persuade the people that the necessity for saving is really vitally urgent. There is a limit, however, to tho economies a Government can effect, and when that limit is reached the only thing that has been accomplished is the removal of a direct incitement to the nation to spend "as usual. 1 ' They will still spend more than they ought. The root of the trouble is in the fact that although for some purposes, say, the raising of a largo fund, the nation can be got to act together, yet the nation's spending is not a collective business. Every individual spends his own money without consulting his neighbour. For the nation to become thrifty it is necessary that cach individual shall quietly and privately cut down his expenditure. The average person, reading an appeal for national thrift, do'is not consider the appeal as an urgent message to him individually. Unless he is an ideal patriot, or a vory prudent man, he spends his money very much'aa usuaJ. Something can be done by general appeals, but t 0 bring home the importance of t,hrift to the individual some device must be employed which will actually affect every individual. The economic problem of Britain is to maintain. a,nd if possible increase, her exports, arid to diminish her imports. The first part of this task is by far the less difficu'/t. Every producer has a direct

personal interest- ' n increasing his pioductiou: it brii.g; him in more money. But thero is no such direct and per-r-cnal interest in reducing one's consumption. Hcnc ; wo are certain to see in Great Brif.iin an increase in tne already high tarnation, and a direct limitation of irs: ports. In the meantime the position.- in Great Britain has its lessons for 2j. ew Zealand. We axe, fortunately, iii'ii strong position, and iifc for practice'fly everyone is just,as comfortable as >" ai the days before the war. But the K luty of thrift is as important here ai it is in Britain. Fewpeople are lint ' ting their current expenditure, all' aough many prudentpeople are lim I ifcing their investments. There is nearly as much extravagaace as ever. Unfortut n-tely, where one should expect appeals /for thrift, and evidences of ;t \villingn< ts to assist the Government in devia ng a practical method of onforeiug a 1 lore economical mode of living, we tot >> often find emphatic protests against tkc bare idea that the ■public goner; ily should moderate their expenditure.; for make any sacrifice Avhutever.