DIVES

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9210, 2 December 1915, Page 6

DIVES

AND HIS SORROWS (From "X Z. Observer.”) A Hawke’s Bay squatter, attending 1 a race meeting at .Napier, showed the typical attitude of the earth-owner to Hie Empire. He had imported a new' motor-car- He had a grievance against the Government. It had cost him .£3O more than in hia opinion it should have; cost him to land, because the nefarious, Government, in its necessary endeavoufl to raise war- revenue, had dared to in-; trade on his sacred privileges. The squatter said this: “Why don’t they' leave us alone? They can’t get on; : without wool, and cars aro used for the necessary work of travelling on the roads. It’s a scandal that we should be so taxed.” The man who heard the outburst .said nothing. There seemed nothing to say. The squatter who was being ruined by a T3O imposition on a motor-ear mentioned that his wool-clip for one season returned .£28,000! Don’t tax him! Another type of squatter was present, and ho had a word to say about his disabilities. Hero is what ho said: “It’s impossible to get shepherds I got a man, and actually bought him an outfit. He had no sooner settled down than some of these interfering folks persuaded him to enlist—and he’s gone!” The squatter went on to say that the Government should have prevented that man from joining, because the primary industries are first. Consider tho sacrifice of the owner of vast ureas of the best land in New Zealand in supplying ‘‘an outfit’’ for a station hand. AVliafc a wrench for a man with a capita! <1? .£1,00,001) to supply a man with a horse! Consider the price of sheep dogs- Then he’d hare to dip deep into his pocket for a wire strainer and an axe He might even have almost ruined himself buying a pair of 6s 6d moleskins, and the man would eat nearly half a sheep* a week and dip into a flour bag, and cost tho squatter untold gold in ‘‘post :nd rail” tea ami brown sugar. Life is very, very hard for squatters when disgraceful shepherds, ungrateful shepherds, run away and fight for the squatters in Gallipoli. AVe have uncontrovertible evidence that many dairy fanners (who still squ#al) aro in some cases handling a monthly cheque this year which is twice tho size of the cheque drawn during tho same period of 1913, so that, even assuming that tho labour market is largely depleted by the withdrawal of gallant young men (and gallant old ones too), the sufferers seem well able to cany on without great hurt to their pockets. In many cases the donations of rich men to the patriotic funds only' represent a trifle of the extra profits won by them as a result of the war. Thu prosperity of theso wealthy people who gather in TI6OO and squeal at paying out tha shillings is due entirely to the phenomenal demand for primary products. The inevitable slump will come after the war. The rich man will have made so much money during the conflict that he won’t- feel the slump. The Government’s business is to go for his packet now. Tho cessation of tho war will have the effect of making poor people poorer, for slumps fall on the back of those least able to pay' every time. The necessity for finding incredible sums of money will not cease with the declaration of peace, and the wealthy ones who aro now able to use three times the labour available will, at the cessation of largo profits, need fewer men than can be normally supplied. The influence, therefore, of the people who are furious at tho idea of a shepherd becoming a soldier, and of paying .£3O out of .£28,000 will be greater than ever, for they will hold the sources of supplies. The rich man of New Zealand showed his patriotism in August, 1913, by at once increasing the prices of all goods bought at pre-war rates. The Government merely played with the question of setting up a futile commission yyhich did nothing but draw its wages. The reason there has been no serious poverty is because the country generally was fairly prosperous, and that a very large number of eaters have become physical fighters. The real problems for this country are to com* when tho war is over, ami the whole of the people have to strive to bring New Zealand back to normal—a condition that will not be reached during the lives of tho middle-aged. The need for defining the liability of the rich is very great for it is only .by tho liberal use of the poor than afiy man can become rich. Prosperity is not gauged by the sizo of tho deposits in the banks, but bv the power of tho people to purchase the things they need, and by the quantity Of available edibles. A community of'peasants who have no money, but who aro self-supporting is a more prosperous- community than one with money to purchase from the rich at the highest price the rich can squeeze out of them.