THE PRICES OF FOOD, TAXATION, ETC.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 19, 17 October 1907, Page 5

THE PRICES OF FOOD, TAXATION, ETC.

Sir, —Whilo admitting that this country is dependent for its prosperity on the firmer, including in that term the agricultural, sheep, and dairy farmer, it must not be for- .- gotten that they receivo very great concessions from' the country. Should the prices of produce, fall, there is at onco a clamour, jm their part for cheaper railway rates, etc., and. it is only a short time ago. that considerable'.' concessions woro given to some sheep farmers ill the South by the railways, in moying sheop from one district to'another, on acoount of the'drought. I'liayb always.. been of opinion that the chief necessaries of lifo fluch as food and clothing of tho plainest kind should be sold at the lowest-profitable cost if produced in tlio country, aAcl, if imported, should bo duty free', But'if any articles of food or clothing tlut can he produced in tho mmntry-can be imported and sold: at a less price than'the locally-'growu article, .then a duty should be put upon that,' so aa to prevent it from taking tlio place of the locallygrown, providing tho latter S is. of equal quality. If tho importation, ev«iv with tho duty, supposing the productions, of...oqual quality, should cause tho sale of the locally produced to be reduced, ■ then tho duty should ho in-' creased, but I would not., allow tho locally produced;, to 1 be raised to • the price of tlio. imported. If there'should bo a shortage in the' local production, but such shortage not'; decreasing a fair profit on the cost of production, tho price- should not';be ; allowed 'to be:raised,-but, if allowed to-be raised, then' the imported article should have tlio duty, if , any, ; loworod, so : as to allow the sale at the normal price. We are having instances now in the'high price of wheat and flour, riot becauso'there is a shortage: of wheat in this, country." but becauso-there is a producers' and, millers' combine which aro putting the prices up, and —I do not agree with the-idea-of the Government' subsidising an industry at the expcrise of the consumer—if the industry is" one that cannot conipcto with outsiders, unless at the expense of ihc whole of the consumers, then dot that industry either give up or make an arfcle tint will forco the outirider from the it»rkct, for, after all, why : should the greater suffer to make profit for tho few. ' I do not agree oithc-r with the Government grants ,in 'aid of the development •of mining, as now administered. . If there is' any locality in which-there is supposed to be minerals,.. thori if- private .entcrpriso -is lacking without, tlio Government's, assistance, then by all means- let that assistance be given,- .but on. tho..distinct agreement that should 3uch operations bo,successful, then, tho amount advanced', by : the Government : should be refunded. . An the ■ Government is so generous to 1 a number of producers, why should they not be to all?' .'Thoy'assist\ the farmers, the. poultry producors, : and the .fruit growers—the latter by guaranteeing a certain-price.--Why should not the. guarantee the other producers a certain price, and, in tho event of higher prices beiug obtained, reap the benefit, a.ud also' reqv.iro, that the productions should bo sold at', the samo pricra locally? The fruit : grower, .for instance, is satisfied with Id. per lb. nett for apples. Yet wo consumers havo to pay,4d. and 6d. here. A ; great, fuss ,-was : mado some years ; ago about the price of'coal, so the State became coal suppliers. Why should it riot supply the food in the shape of bread at all'events, which the - coal; helps to- make ? , Socialism .is now tlio, great cry. ■ What a grand chance for tho; present Government to ; foster -thist Let the Government be the .producer. All would then, get employment, there would bo no-rich ; mcH'tp ; dip-with thousands:and hundreds of. thousands. . All would slifiro aliko in any 'profits. - No 'more' Labour, agitators; even if .in favour of ths Government. No need for any.particular lav.'s, or for a Minister to bring in a Bill 'and state in-tho House that "Bill and nothing but it," and then when he found that his Government "would go Out upon it. chucked .it as a whole, and afterwards brought in'little bits, hoping to pass then and' so -remain in office.; What; a. difference in the men .and Ministry now aiid in. tho good old'; times when there were no seekers and suckers -after office, but a. Ministry composed if. mon-'Whn would resign if the measures it •-hoiiglit-necessary would not- pass, or passed :>y a mere, narrow majority.' There was-no raying ,of • constituencies in those: days by promises of'lavish- expenditure-or flying round ;lic .country, at its exponas to • male* those irnmisc's..and so.got votes to keop them' in jlfice—Youra etc.. - ' i HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED.