WASTE OF WEALTH

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 261, 8 October 1912, Page 2

WASTE OF WEALTH

IN METHOD AND IN RESOURCES; Sydney. Sept. 24. • Mr. D. J- Gordon. M.P., in addressinc the annual meeting of the South Australian Chamber of Commerce last week, gave some graphic illustrations of the manner in which Australian resources are worked. But, first, as to waste in business methods. ’‘The secretaries of boards boards of trade, chambers of manufactures, and similar bodies in the United States.” he said, "were recently asked what have been the most noteworthy changes in business methods during the last fexv .years. The following are some of the replies : “ * Wo are making our rax*, materials into finished products, and changing from a community of traders in other people’s wares to a community of producers ; and xx e are eliminating as fast as possible the credit system in business.' “’Closer collections, fewer failures. more intelligent system. We need capital and people. The spirit of growth and service is here.’ “ ‘ Business in all lines has become better systematised and organised.’ “A gradual approach to a cash basis.’ ’ From a very genera! credit system to a practically cash basis.' “ Some of the answers to the question. ‘ What have been the most noteworthy changes in public opinion in ten years!' are •' ' Influential men are becoming more practical about the training 0* their sons, paying more attention to i the trades and agricult m.v. getting away from the idea that a man could j not be a gentleman unless he were j a lawxer. a doctor, or a preacher.’ ; “ ' From croaking to confidence ; ' from apathv to activity; from eon-] tentnient to concord.’ “ ‘A radical change from a. feeling] of doubt ami uncertainty about the, future to one of general confidence | and great hope.’ 1 'Tn a paper rend before the Roy il| Society of Queensland this yea:-. | t lie president. MJ. B. Hemic .<■ 1.! F.1.U., said: —' By sending av.uv] iinf.eoni'cd wool Queensland m 19'i'j l ist COOO tons of potash. The loc o i wool contains 14 per cent, of L’ni-j line, and the State threw away 'Jieq prduct in 1910 to the value < 1 | £1.000,000. In the same year Hie 1 State produced 7.376,460 galk-ns i -.nolasscr. —nearly all wasted—- it ; though the product contained ncart-.*] 3,000,000 gallons of alcohol; :md| Bananalancl spends £sLoco per i num on imported petrol. He ahr Rated that there waa a lavish xvtisle. of fodder every year, whilst there r j appalling prodigality in mining 1 fields. Ono company alone pci rm l G 800 tons of sulphuric acid per dry :o| to be wasted. The same aullicruvl states that one-third ci the coni .supply is left in the scams through faulty methods, while it is estimat '■ t chat ‘of the energy actually cbtnit - cd from the original coal in a. ecal ream less than 10 per cent, is utilised by steam engines, w'hilc prob ah ;• loss than one per cent .ot the crig. ial energy cf the coal seam is utili-wd in heating and cooking.’ “The neglect of geographical on - lets represents a daily cncnnu .caste. Produce is dragged liundr -ds J miles through .mountain pass's nnd across wide plains away fro <1 latural channels because of a pelmyi ,f centralisation. It is not iiccerr-ar•' to give specific examples, becam- j this policy is .familiar to Aust rali-ns I .vho unanimously concur in condemn-] ing it, but do nothing to t.lcp tms| waste of effort and loss of wen!: 1.1 Transportation is the essential fnc'o” in both industry ami commerce, for inless transportation is availatmnnd economical, production m exe-y-.s ,f the most clementniy net ds _js iselcss and commerce is impcssib’e. Too much importance in the consi leration of national wealth and xva.'fc -annot be attached to r.aihyavs. waterways and good roads._ Jlhe -e are among the greatest civihscrs. Breaks of gauge on Australian rn.l--'.ways represent a heavy annual leak--,ge —damage to produce, duplic? - ;ion of staffs —main trunk lines cn miferm gauga between Australian rapitals would be worth millions a year to the Commonwealth. j “Every year Australia sutlers loss | ...wing to the system of brandmg ■ides. It is estimated that nt least | £300.000 is lost to the country by she .ircscnt system cf branding cattle. It is quite possible for an appalling ’.css to take place if cart' were not exercised in maintaining the present lish standard of merino sheep, jiudinasters during recent years .iave pul several pounds of ircul on io every sheep, and if this is allowed' to decrease it would mean millions sterling a year. I

The present high cost of living is partly caused through wasteful methods of production and distribution, extravagant habits in the mart and in the home. The credit system also represents an additional drain upon the consumer. ■‘lndustrial discord is responsible for much waste, and it is of national importance that there shall be some improvement in the relations between employer and employee if an industrial advance is to be made and maintained. Meanwhile the two contributors to production and wealth ■ire hurting both themselves and the unoffending public. I take the following suggestive reflections from a press cutting : —'Probably ninetenths of the world’s work is more or less slummed. A colossal waste is proceeding everywhere, which can be, and should be. obviated. If stopped it would provide capital with a fund so greatly in excess of its present ordinary business profits that it could afford to give the lion's share of those profits to labour ami not feel incommoded. To stop the waste caused by shimmed work, strikes, disputes, and industrial unrest is the mission of the profitsharing movement. It would do this by ranging the workman on the side of the employer, by making their interests identical. Thus a huge new source of profit would be created that would benefit labour without reducing the returns on capital. Harmonj- and stability would be substituted for strife, peace and happiness for turmoil and misery. Waste would disappear; the cost of . supervision would sink to the eco-

noniic minimum, and every workman would freely give forth the best that is in him.’ Whether or not piofit-sharing represents a practical solution of the present unsatisfactory situation the future must decide ; but xve cannot ignore industrial unrest as a factor in preventing national progress. "There are many channels of xvaste of xvhich the folloxving summary is not exhaustive(l) Avoidable loss cf life, infantile and adult ; (2) inefficiency in men and machinery ; (3) reduction in output owing to industrial disputes and the ‘'slow-ing-down” system; (4) out-of-date plants that should be scrapped ; (5) losses through bad agricultural methods and xxumt of method in the factory ; (6) waste of raxx* materials and food supplies; (7) failure to utilise by-products ; (8) wasteful methods of distribution, leading to unnecessary duplication, thus adding to the cost of living ; (9) neglect: of geographical outlets and cheap water carriage; (10 bad roads and general absence of modern means of quick communication. "The Right Hon. Junies Bryce, before leaving Australia, said that nc had been favourably impressed with the immensity of Australian re-r-oni'ces. ‘How immense they were was not gene.raliy known. Tlic 10111inoi* imprcssi’qn xvas that the fei tile areas were restricted to a. fringe tound the const. \.but such he found wgs hot tlie case. 'xThere v.-eie imsijense tracts of fertile hinds xvhich could be put to profitaluk use. Australia. hr '•o'.iehided, h.-’Xr every favourable prospect of huge doxelopnient. and must eventually become a targe and wealtlix- nat ion. A e ipust. I'.grvf with Mr. Bryce about the greatness of Australia’s i esource:-, end the want of knowledge coneeu) ing them. I want to see started in Hie '. acinus States of Australia a cation;' 1 conscrx at ion association, which shall have as one of its objects the awakening of the national' conscience to a sense of its moral as well as material obligations towards tins x it;-.] question of th; comer'a tli-11 of natuial resources. We want, to km.xx- our country better than we Ho. We want to cultivate a sane

(•pt imistn and educate the public in I he direction of a higher appi eolat ion of t hings Aust.ralian. fbe-c is an urgent Mall for efficiency and economy. Economy in produeiici). saner methods of distribution, and only such legislative restriction .ns will give due protection to capital and labour guaranteeing a square deal' to the public by uot granting preference to one sect ion of the community cr giving privileges to another section. That is the cor-nm-'jtcne cf a true and cafe democracy. "\Vc want io recognise ms Australians the fundamental economic truth that it is productive industries which really add to wealth, pay wages and maintain *a high standard of comfort. The neglect, of resources is economic waste, and economic waste meror;; national loss and national decadence."