COST OF LIVING

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9755, 3 September 1917, Page 3

COST OF LIVING

'To tho Editor “N.Z, Times.” Sir,—Wo haxo heard lately much bombastic talk of Imperialism. Why not copy eome of the methods of the Imperial Government, which if carried Into effect are worthy of the highest admiration, and will materially lessen cur cost of living, and which our Government hos entirely failed to do? I refer to Lord Rhondda’s Costing Department. which he has set pp in the Ministry, and its object of control will be “To fix prices by reference to actual costs with the addition of a normal pre-war rate of profits, independent at market fluctuations. Strict control from producer to retailer with, the object of limiting profits at every stage of pro-, duction and distribution to a fair remuneration for services rendered.” Our method of dealing with the cost of living has been to put a tax on foodstuffs. What marvellous ingenuity our Government displays in fencing with this problem. It seems that all the money spent on a board to make inquiries has ■been futile. The Government must boldly tackle the question and 'compel that highwayman, the profiteer, to disgorge his ill-gotten gains. 'Recently large quantities of cheese, etc., were taken to tho destructor. We hear that there are over 140,000 carcases in the freezing chambers owing to tho shortage of shipping. The shipping space is not going to increase, but to decrease, as boats are being sunk every week. Is the meat 'to follow the same •road as the cheese? Tho above state of affairs vividly illustrates that the so-called law of supply and demand, which is perpetually being rammed down the throat 'of the gullible and ignorant public, is entirely artificial and man-made, and should therefore bo entirely discarded to accommodate the ■present needs of the people. This socalled Jaw of supply and demand has been tho result of laissez fairs or opportunist polities, and' which, like Alice, “just growed.” As understood to-day it is a result of a system of so-called freedom. which in effect expects from each member of society neither duty nor consideration for his neighbour, but within certain laws to consider self-interest only, and to supply those things which bring him the greatest personal increase. A powerful illustration of this at present is in the case of British shipping which in foreign trade is offered 900 per cent, profit and can only obtain 600 per cent, in natriotic trade. Xt has therefore (in spite of being threatened) adhered to the modern law of supply and demand and considered neither duty nor patriotism but dividends and self-in-terest exclusively. The patriotism of many who- talk loudest consists of bow to avoid the taxes by getting in large supplies of taxable articles or of selling their beasts to the Armour Company, .even recently, and knowing, as they must do, the grievous wrong they are doing to their country by playing into the hands of the American Mept Trust. Intense selfishness ultimately recoils on the advocate of that poliev. and it will be interesting to watch the making of the lash that will in the future scourge these boasters of the "evervone for himself" Poliev.—l am. etc.. / ' B. L, WATSON.