AN EXAMPLE IN ECONOMY

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 49, 26 February 1917, Page 6

AN EXAMPLE IN ECONOMY

The Lloyd George Government's import restrictions, which have caused the ex-Presklent of the Board of Trade to be critical, should have a still more electrical effect in New Zealand, because the Mother Country even under the Asquith Government was stinting itself a good deal, while New Zealanders under their National Government are depriving themselves of—well, nothing. It is now many months since a special appeal was made (dated July,' 1916) to "all Britons overseas" to " produce more, consume less, and lend every penny to war loans." This appeal was signed by the late Lord Cromer, E'aii Grey, Lord Miln-er (now a member of the British War Council or Inner Cabinet), Lord Sydenlmm, and other leading Imperialists and public men ; who" foresaw that the war would end amid a struggle of economic endurance—though possibly they did not foresee to what extent the pace would be forced by the enemy submarines. Now, however, that Sir Edward Carson has, with great courage, stated the naval position, the arguments in the " Appeal to Britons Overseas" apply with double force, and they are worth recalling. "The whole German nation," says the appeal, " is supporting its armies. The utmost frugality is in force, and the nation's resources are being conserved in a remarkable way.

. . Germany is not . exhausted. Britain, who must buy her food and raw material abroad, and lend her Allies more than a million pounds a. day, has at last realised that every single citizen is called upon for his or her maximum effort. ■. Through her Cabinet Ministers she has called upon the people for self-denial, for the utmost conservation of resources, and for the loan of every spare penny." Since then a new set of Cabinet Ministers has entered office, and they not only appeal but prohibit. Mr. Lloyd George's speech is a monument to British sternness and selfsacrifice. But in New Zealand the current of expenditure on private luxuries, and on non-necessities in the way of public utilities, goes on as before.

Probably our war-loan record is a not' discreditable one, but that fact, if it is a fact, is a measure of our prosperity rather tdian of our economy; and it has not. prevented the expenditure- in food and drink luxuries and in other unnecessary directions of much money that might have been lent for war purposes, and still without stinting the individual. And it has to be remembered that our prosperity is. based on the war prices obtainable in the Mother Country tor our primary produce exports, and on the finding by the Imperial Government, of ships to carry the same, and on the protection of these ships by the" British Navy. That is to say, the Mother Country, under whose strong arm we exist, is giving us protection, and guaranteed prices: ako the ships that to us represent profit, and to the Ilorns population life itself. Is it not, then, the least that we can do to curtail our personal and individual expenditures, and as a self-governing community to look around for means of State action in the direction of economy and the prevention of waste ? Are there any foreign-made imports we can reduce or prohibit? Can it still be argued that an American motor-car is an agricultural implement? Is it sound retrenchment policy to start with public works and corns to luxuries last of all? Is it playing the game to exempt the non-fighting population of New Zealand from all sacrifice except that represented by what is •after all only a moderate burden of taxation? So far as can be seen from the cabled list, tho new British import restrictions do not prejudicially affect Dominion exports, unless in the matter of leather and hi flea—in whidh case the local tahners and leather-users may even find occasion for jo}'. Generally speaking, our good position is preserved, and as New Zealand is an exporter of grass products (wool, meat, dairy produce) rather than of grain, the speed-the-plough campaign in Britain is commercially all in her favour. Add to this the growing opinion—echoed at the London School of Economics—that post-war prices of Australasian and Canadian products must continue high for years, and it will be seen how much the oversea Dominions have to b? thankful for. Surely, then, the magnificent effort of self-sacrifice outlined by the British Prime Minister will be an example and a spur, morally and materially, to the individual and* to the State, to share the deprivations, as well as the fighting burden that the Mother Country has accepted in the cause of liberty.