THE MAORI VIEW-POINT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9722, 26 July 1917, Page 5

THE MAORI VIEW-POINT.

THE HIGH COST OF LIVING. AIR. PARATA’S OPINION. The member for the Southern Maori Districts, Air C. Parata, dealt in a manner characteristic and to the point with tho high cost of living during his speech on the Addrcss-in-Rcply debate in the House of Representatives last night. Air Parata was particularly severe on the trusts, which, ho said, caused all the trouble.

“Why should tho trusts come hove,’' said Mr Parata, “when the mothers and sisters of the boys at the trout are making sacrifices while the soldiers are away? While their hacks are turned they make us pay such high prices. If there is one neglect of the National Government this is it. But the Government has now allowed the prices to go so high that it will be useless.” Then Air Parata went on to speak very strongly about butter., “Why, tho butter wo are eating/’ ho said, “well, you eat butter and bread and you are satisfied; but the butter now! I have been brought up on a farm, and I know that the butter we oat is not pure butter. The butter you put on your bread now, it slips down. (Laughter.) I question if it were analysed it isn’t pure butter. Proper buttei has a rich taste. You can go on eating this butter and nothing else.” In reply to an interjection, Air Parata said ho lived on mutton birds. (Laughter.) He went on to speak of the butterfat levy. He was talking to a farmer who did not mind the levy. No, it served him all right when butter was Is 5d per lb. Even at Is 2d it paid him. Wliy ho could sit by and see the cows milked on this! Of course, all the farmers growled. But they made more all the same. He got a pood price for his butter, and surely it did not cost more to make the grass grow. (Laughter.) But this cost ot living. Wiiat with the high rent, tho high butter, and the higli meat, he did not know how the people lived at all. (Laughter.) Ho knew a man who had butter and toast once a week, on Sunday. (Laucbw.) The price of everything was sc umno. that it was driving people to the—L, the Bankruptcy Court. His idea was that the Government bad not properly tackled the thing.