NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY With which is incorporated the NORTHERN MAIL DAILY. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1919. PROFITEERING v. GO-SLOW.

Northern Advocate, 4 September 1919, Page 2

NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY With which is incorporated the NORTHERN MAIL DAILY.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1919. PROFITEERING v. GO-SLOW.

Registered for transmission through

the post as a newspaper.

You cannot eat your cake and have dt, is a homely way of emphasising a great truth. And an unbalanced person, or an individual who sfor the time being sees an important truth in a wrong perspective, is liable to adopt this curious procedure. There is certainly something to be said tor the peculiar point of view, for the persons who make the error of judgment certainly seem to have at least a superficial reason for their attitude. They argue that it cannot be quite impossible when they see everyday illustrations of those who are eating the cake of life's luxuries and still the supply seems as plentiful as ever. The worker points to the rich, and answers the economist's dictum as to increase production or suffer, by remarking that they at anyrate neither produce anything nor do they suffer It is true the wealthy classes talk solemnly of great losses in interest, capital values, etc., etc., but the average man is apt to regard the lamentation as unreal because there is no appreciable decline in their personal pleasures. The fact of the matter is that the affirmations of the academic economists that to ensure national prosperity there must be increased production, is true in the aggregate more obviously than in isolated cases. There would appear to be ample grounds for the emphasis of two truths which lay bare the fundamental facts and causes of the reduced output. The first dictum is that to restrict the output of essentials, either of the factory or farm, is, in the long run,, to impoverish the nation. Diminished supplies necessarily raise prices, and place the goods within reach of the rich only,, or they impoverish the average man an he struggles with his stationary income to maintain the usual standard of living-. A rise in price is felt at once and more acutely by the poorest. When the strain becomes too great the inevitable result is industrial unrest, strikes and lock-outs with all the attendant and mischievous ills. When tGiere are fewer goods for the community there is less business exchange, and the noticeable effect is a retardation of energy. This industrial paralysis spells a limitation of the joys and arts of life, and suggests dourness rather than the joyous energy of healthy existence. 'Minor improvements may doubtless take place, but as a rule, a "go-slow" policy works economic distress and disaster to the whole community.

The poorest suiter immediately in j

lessened .supplies, and the possessors of capital or special organising ability feci that there is no outlet. it will doubtless be freely agreed that the happiest country is where each individual is pleasantly employed, well educated, lives under refined conditions, and where there is in social lil'e.a .spirit of helpful and eager service as is seen in an ideal home. This brings us to the point of affirming that there is a great under-current of dissatisfaction among the people because they feel that they are being exploited, or that their labour is for nought. in many cases it must be allowed that the unrest is not warranted; but in many cases .here has been abundant justification of the cause for complaint. "Profiteering" has, alas, given the worker cause for resentment, and he retaliates with the ready weapon of "go-slow." They both represent a faulty social order, and when a curb is applied to the profiteer who meanly uses his point of vantage, we shall have less cause for a blowing down among the people _ generally. As registering a most salient fact in present political life one must affirm that parliament has not yet devised means to satisfy the worker that his energy is not either wasted or "exploited. Reconstruction 'measures on these lines will ensure greater social stability and happiness.