Social Thoughts Series.

Free Lance, Volume XIV, Issue 723, 9 May 1914, Page 7

Social Thoughts Series.

Practical Methods of Reducing the Cost of Living-:. Two Guinea Prize Awarded to koss Papprill, of Dunedin.

HERE has been brisk competition I ■ in this third essay-contest, and "™ for the first time the masculine' element has been strongly in the run-, ning, and a mere man this time is onlybeaten by a nose, so to speak. Miss Gabriella Wyndham, who in the . first •contest divided the prize with Mrs. Had- " field, is now the winner, and Mrs. Hadfield (who has placed herself in every -event so far) ties with Mr. Ross Papprill, of Dunedin, for second honours. The JUditor of the Series does' not imagine his -decisions will give, general satisfaction, but he has a great many points to note /which may not occur to the casual reader.* , In the first place, there is a limit of length laid down, so as to induce the essayists to cultivate conciseness of language and closeness of argument. Then they must apply themselves directly to the 'point at issue—not write round it. ■(Originality of thought and treatment .•count for a great deal, and a flavouring of Attic salt is never amiss. It "was a tough problem that was placed before the competitors this: trip: to •discuss in 400 words practical methods of reducing the cost of living. At the same time it is a problem that most people are up against every day of their lives. And the men, as chief -wage-earners, have entered con amore into the lists just as have the women who, for the most part, lave the spending of the wages. The struggle for the prize' has reached almost from the North Cape to the Bluff. At any rate, essays have poured in from all parte of the Dominion from Auckland in the north to Dunedin in the south. * ■* • ■* * This week I give the first three papers, «,nd next week L shall deal with some of the others. .' ' Miss Wtndham's Essay.' Practical methods of reducing the cost of living are easy to write, about, but difficult to .execute. The fact that onethird of the average person's income goes to the landlord', is the vital" part of the question. The absurdly high land values, and the consequent burden of Tates and taxes, .are no doubt answerable for the high rents. How to depreciate land value is beyond the scope of the ordinary individual unless we follow Mr. Withy and Co. 1. Taxation could be lightened by (a) aurgical operations upon degenerates of both sexes, thereby making them decent • citizens; (b) setting prisoners to grow "vegetables for market. (They would only enter into competition with an alien race.) .These two departures alone would save thousands annually to taxpayers. 2. Municipalise certain foodstuffs: Meat, bread, milk, and vegetables as is . done with fish. The State is helping with coal and insurance. 3. Make a law insuring, that all reductions in Customs duty reach the consumers. At present rings and monopolies prevent.it. 4. Abolish all credit; make it illegal to give, or receive it. < Not nearly' so much should be spent in luxuries and amusements. - . 5. Give every parent a vote for each •child under twenty-one years of age. This would tend to increase the population and enable more manufactories and industries to be started. It would result in greater production generally. 6. Tax bachelors with a certain income, and provide bonuses for mothers with two or more children, whose husbands earn £3 or less per week.' 7. Establish clubs, or societies, having for their object a return to a more simple life: Regulating the amount * spent per year in dress and amusements, etc., according to the income of each member. In conclusion, something must be done to stem the tide of wasteful extravagance. We are spending 50 per cent. more than our parents did: and are not nearly so robust in health, or well off financially. Every rise in wages is passed on to the general public—no one is any better off except the merchants and those who reap benefit of a littlß more cash circulating—pictures, races, and wild extravagance .reign supreme. The dear old fireside life-is becoming a memory. Conversation is a lost art. Good books lie unread. Pictures, clubs, and pubs are the successful rivals. Drawing men back to the land by bursting up big estates would benefit some, but- not ' all. « * * * Mrs. Hadfiemj's Essay. "When shall all men's good be each man's rule, and universal peace liie like a shaft of light across the worldP" Perhaps, not the high, cost of living, but the cost of higher living is our trou-

ble. The price of labour seems, the root reason for the high cost of living, and the unreasoning selfishness of capital .'in the past has driven Labour into her present hysterical unrest. But Capital nas awakened to the knowledge of her fault. She has learnt her lesson. She is ready to atone. When Labour unions preach the dignity of Labour,, when they take pride in the excellence of the work performed, when they" consider the common good, when Labour has learnt to be moderate in her demands, she may nnd Capital very ready \'to welcome and .adopt a system of co-partnership, and. in that system possibly, lies the solution of our woes.. Unity is strength. If women of. all ranks would form a union, if those who have plenty would earnestly think and sympathise'with their less-fortunate sisters, if the 'hard-up" would, courageously set their own standard and make it their pride, things would improve. Garden cities and community houses simplify life, and the French-woman's custom of marketing and her frugal economy' make _ her -home • run smoothly. Adoption of individual style and colour means less spent on dress. Systematic boycotting of fancy-priced goods would induce merchants to cater for simpler tastes. Would-be social reformers are apt to neglect to count the cost, but, believing "it is well to shoot our arrows at the moon, for though they may miss the mark they may yet fly higher than if we had flung them into a bush," -I dare advocate free trade. Certain industries and individuals would suffer, but reduction in the cost of living would be-imme-diate, and.the moral effect excellent.. Local manufacturers, standing on their own merits, would produce' superior results, or fail. Their failure would mean loss of employment for many. Sensible employees would be spurred to greater effort. Those leaving the cities must seek employment on the land in a life uplifting and healthy. And the land is crying out for them. Not her industries, nor the fertility of her soil, but the srit, strength and perseverance of her. ~eoman farmers made England supreme on land and sea. * * * * • Me,. Ross Papprill's Essay. It is only proper to state at onco that it is impossible in the.space allotted to deal adequately with such . an involved question. First, we should enquire as. to the contributing causes of the suggested low,purchasing;, power of money, such as the increased gold production, extended banking facilities, the credit system, huge armament, the operations of trusts and combines, and all the many other reasons assigned by various economists. Let us, howov-er, take things as they are, and see what can be done. First, we must define, the unqualified word "living." It is neither luxurious living noi\bare living. The cost of "living" we might fairly assume to mean the cost of those necessary things which enable a human to fully exert all his physical and mental powers without detriment to health. In other words, what shelter, food, clothing and recreation will allow a man to live healthily and happily. Taking these in their order—"How can rent be reduced?" The answer is obvious. '"By living in a house which costs less to build, or in a similarly or better built house erected on cheaper land." "How can one reduce his food Cost?" Again, obviously, "By eating food which costs less." And so on. This assumes, of course, that'a man's wages will remain constant. WeD, let us see if one can live in a cheaper house. "Yes, by living outside city areas where land costs less, and by'getting up earlier and walking to and from his work in lieu of paying for transit." "Can he live on foods which will supply all his bodily requirements but which cost less?" "Very likely yes." We.probably eat too much, too often, and too well. Some people assert that the cheaper cereal and vegetable foods are quite as sustaining as the dearer flesh foods. Who needs silk hosiery, six-guinea suits, or gold cuff links? No one! Who needs indiscriminate race-going, picture shows, and so forth? No one! Certain it is that the ''high cost of living" would be more correctly expressed as the "cost of high living." The bigger question of maintaining the standard and reducing the- cost is involved in _ the factor of distribution at least. Eliminate many unneeded shops, carts, canvassers, and advertisements, and goods could be profitably sold for less. But if people could live on less would they be paid less? Mr. Justice Higgins said that the minimum living in Australia is 48s at present, but if prices vo&e so should the wages automatically, and vice versa. Were champagne a necessity one would demand and get a wage. If one could, live on oatmealand dried shark, could one obtain enough wages to purchase rolled

oats and flounders ? I fancy not. So ! cui bono. *.* * * Letters haye reached me from iitEE v Lance subscribers in " Australia, urging the fairness of giving them a chance to compete for these essay prizes by enlarging the time. It is a reasonable plea, and the Editor has therefore decided to allot one competition to each month, giving virtually four weeks for preparation. In the first week of every month the Free Lance will therefore announce results, and each competition will close on the last Thursday of the month. ' I hope this arrangement will be' found'to work smoothly and well. *" * * * Headers of .the Free Lance are invited u.' coin]x.'ie tor piisies to be giv<n by the-iutitor-of this bi>cial Thoughts tifiit-.s iyr the best and most thoughtful essay on subjects of general interest to be proposed from time to time. A prize of £2 2s will be given for the best attempt on the i subjects suggested.The essay muist not contain more than 400 words; must be written on one side .of the paper only, and addressed to the Editor of' "Social Thoughts Competition," c/o N.Z. Free Lance, 31 Panamastreet-.' Wellington. An entrance fee of Is,.together with coupon. attached below, must be enclosed. The„ Editor's decision is final. This Social Thoughts Series Column is •sincerely recc-mmended to the thoughtful readers of the Free Lance, and especially to country readers. The "Thoughts" published will be on live, up-to-date subjects, and should possess considerable interest for the general body of readers. Whilst the Editor welcomes essays with a spice of wit, he deprecates burlesque. Competitor* are asked to suggest any. subject in which they -are interested. The subject of No. 4 Prize Essay will b- "Should Bachelors be Taxed —and How ?" Entt-ies for this No. 4 series close on Thursday, May 28th, and the prize rssay will be published ori Friday, June sth.