NEW ZEALAND'S PART.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17335, 25 November 1916, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND'S PART.

- Tur. other day we were glad to approvo some- worthy remarks by one or two fanners on the subject, of commandeering produce for tho war. Mr F. GHorrell, in particular, spoke out strongly against a hostile majority and showed tho patrioticduty -to the producer. To-day we have a letter from a Wakanui farmer which all producers may well be invited to read carefully, Mr Butterick unquestionably takes the right view. With a colossal war in progress, the Mother Country requires the utmost assistance she can obtain from the great Empire oversea, and it happens that this Dominion is able to supply very appreciable quantities of wool, meat and other produce in urgent demand for the use of soldiers on the fields of battle or engaged in the untiring vigilance on the sea which alone enables us to exislt. Obviously, the value to the Mother Country of this service which Now Zealand is able to give depends largely upon the terras demanded, since a great part of Britain's burden is financial. The Dominion is supplying produce to her full capacity, but at whait a price? Look at the export values. Last seasons wool clip brought 60 per cent more than the 1913-14 clip. Meat showed an enormous increase, and so did dairy produce and practically everything the country was able to sell to the Mo'bher Country, whose necessity was made our opportunity. We have taken out the figures showing export values in the last four seasons, two of peace and two of war. Thle totals are amazing, and inasmuch as the increase has been extracted from the Mother Country at a time when she needed help instead of hindrance we cannot help believing (that tho position does New Zealand little credit. We invite inspection of the following examples of war gains:—

In some cases, but not in all, larger quantities account for part of the.increases shown, in the foregoing table, but the great bulk of the extra money that has been showered upon New Zealand is war profit, directly traceable to the travail of tho Empire and . the unparalleled difficulties of the Mother Country. Now, we ask any soberminded citizen if this is the way to help win 'tho war. The answer must be in the negative. The only sane view is that the charging of theso fancy prices is unfair to the Empire nnd the Allies; unfair, indeed, to New Zealand, whoso honour and best interests alike are injured; unfair (to the Prime Minister, who has declared that all we have is England's and that the Dominion is prepared to givo the last man and the last shillipg for the prosecution of the war. Jit is no use trying to discount war profits by assertions about increased cost of production and about tho high prices of sheep and cattle or of land. Those arguments are futile, because tho existence of war gains by the million is revealed in b»*"'- balance iu irmr»ns*>r! oxnen-

dituro upon racing and pleasures and luxuries, in tho wonderful ease with which large local loans have been subscribed. And now that Now Zealand has come actually at last to tho conscription of men, we say thaifc the economic situation, will have to be reviewed and the public policy revised. The logic and facts of the position will have to bo faced, for it cannot be allowed to continue that while men aro taken compulsoi'ily— as they must be, for the salvation of the Empire—any of those who remain shall pile up fortunes out of the war. Thero must be hundreds of producers who share-the sentiments so well puic by Mr Horrell and Mr Butterick. Wo should like to see them become articulate. Wo ought to have similar opinions falling from the lips of fanners as thick as leaves in Vnllombrosa, for if any section of the community has warrant for sturdy, practical patriotism it is the producer. If Britain cannot be supplied with wool, meat and cheese on lower terms than New Zealand is charging, then Parliament ought to tax war profits to tho hilt and put tho revenue so derived at the disposal of tho Mother Country.

Two Two Seasons. Seasons. War ms-ii. 1914-16. Ii increases. (Peace.) (War.) £ £ £ Woo! 10,ol7,161 23,599,030 7,061,919 Frozen meat . 9,430,417 14,823,335 5,397,903 Preserved meat 263,979 493,473 2-29,499 Tallow 1.355.523 1.597,457 241,934 Butter . 4,261.60iJ 5,133,2-17 P70.6M Cheese 4,234,152 5,969,311 1,634,839 Sheepskins ■1,811.972 1.764,811 139,842 Sausage skins 233,087 883,945 132,873 Live slock 156,653 819,517 19-2,864 Hides 587,756 1,216,070 638,914 Leather . 64,230 116,693 52.442 Hemp . i 1,21-1,689 1,352,730 133,041