WAR ARD INDUSTRY.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume IV, Issue 211, 21 August 1914, Page 3

WAR ARD INDUSTRY.

HOW TO AVOID DISTRESS

The annual report presented at yesterday's committee meeting of the Napier Chamber of Commerce contained the follwing reference to the war :—

“Since the close of the financial year a great war has broken out in Europe, involving eight countries, and it is probable others will be drawn in. Britain made strenuous efforts to preserve peace, but without avail, and after Germany had invaded France and Belgium, she was forced to declare war on Germany at the beginning of the present' month. It appears to be the world-wide opinion that Germany’s action throughout the crisis was such that Britain had no alternative but to intervene. It would be idle at this stage to discuss the causes of the war, or the probable result, or jet what the ultimate effect will be on trade and industry, and one can only record in the meantime with the greatest pride and satisfaction a most remarkable rush to the assistance of the Mother Country from all parts of the British Empire. So general and whole-hearted has been the spontaneous offer of practical help that it must have had a beneficial moral effect in Europe. New Zealand is sending an Expeditionary Force of 8000 men. and offers of financial assistance are pouring in from all sides. It is sincerely to be trusted that Germany, in wantonly' breaking up the peace ol Europe, has considerable over-esti-mated her own strength, and that she will before many' months are over meet with a crushing defeat, which will be likely to insure the peace of Europe lor ‘many years, four committee wish to place on record their appreciation of the manner in which both in the L nited Kingdom and New Zealand political differences have been sunk and all parties have joined hands in the common cause of the Empire.”

A brief discussion followed the presentation of the report, during which the members emphasised the desirability cf keeping all possible works going so that the demand for labour should remain normal. Mr. J. G. Herdman said the chamber had a small credit balance which it was suggested might be devoted to the relief fund, but perhaps it would be better to wait until there was an urgent call. Mr. G. Wenley (chairman of the Napier Patriotic' Committee) who attended the meeting by request, sr.id that ’during the last few days they had received cheques from one or two sources with the request that they should be devoted to relieving the distressed, and the committee was now asking Air funds for that purpose. If the chamber desired to assist they would be very glad. Air. Herdman thought the chamber would do well to assist the unemployed when it became necessary.

Mr S. McLernon said this was a question that the Retailers’ Association. of which lie was president, would be likely' to discuss. They wished to urge upon everyone the necessity for carrying on their affairs in such a way' as to keep cveryone employed. The president (Mr. J. Snodgrass): I am sure the chamber, if it has money to spare, will use it in the very best way. 1 think it best to hold, for the present, the little fund we have. He then read a letter from a sheep farmer, suggesting that they should give a certain per cent towards the fund in proportion to their flocks. He did not think this proposal feasible, however, because a man with a good flock of sheep might have his land so heavily mortgaged that he could not afforil it. Mr. Cranby said he hail latelyheard of able-bodied men who were applying to enter the Old People’s Home.

Air. McLernon: We want to influence everyone to keep all thev can employed. Mr. Arthur McCarthy said the chamber should affirm the principle of urging all local bodies to keep their men going, even if they had to he taxed for it. It was anyhow most necessary that existing works should go on as usual. The discussion terminated with the understanding that the chamber would utilise its credit balance (about £’so) when the neebssitv arose in relieving distress.

“SPEND, SPEND, SPEND I” . D. R. Hall, Attorney General, N.S.W., holds different views upon the question of spending money to tuose whicn prevail in many quarter's to-day. “1 meet quite a number oi people,” said Mr. Lail, “who think tney are doing the State some service by' practising economy 7 at the present time. Estimable ladies refuse to purchase new dresses, because they think that the country, being in a state of war, would benefit by their self-denying ordinance, whilst right thinking men with regular incomes curtail their expenditure in every direction. No doubt there are useless extravagances, the indulgence in which benefits no one, and it is equally to he admitted that those who make a practice of purchasing on credit would be well advised in shortening ‘■ail. But there are occasions when it is as much a public duty to spend money as to save it. Take for instance a man with £2o available to spend. He proposes to give £5 to a t harity fund, and to expend £2O on the luxury of newclothing for himself, and new dresses for his wife. Many good people won 111 be disposed to admire his generosity, but to deplore his extravagance. The fact of the matter is, that in spending £2J on clothes, this man does more good in providing labour and preventing poverty than he does in giving £5 to relieve that poverty when it is created. On the principle that man wants work, and not charity, as much as on the principle that prevention is better than cure, 1 regard it as a sacred duty on the part of those, who have money, and whose position is reasonably well assured, to spend that money freely in those forms of purchase which give the great amount of labour for the producers of this country-. “if the reasonably well-off will stretch a point in this direction, they will not merely gratify their own needs, but will have the additional satisfaction of knowing- that they have done their part to stem the tide of poverty that must arise if the circulation of momjy by private people is to be curtailed, and consequent unemployment to be the order of the day.”