TIMES OF UNREST

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10521, 24 February 1920, Page 5

TIMES OF UNREST

TROUBLES "DISAPPEARING"

PAPER CURRENCY BEAMED lOR MONEY SHRINKAGE.

"We lire in strenuous times, and there is a great deal of unrest," Mr Massey remarked when addressing the Press Association last evening.

The unrest was in our own country, but he Mas glad to say it was disappearing. We had to expect unrest, for that had followed every great war wliilo reconstruction -was going in. Our principle trouble here -was the high cost of living. We could get over is, but first wo must find its cause Ho was confident that the good sense ol the British people would overcome these difficulties. Perhaps it might be said that the high standard of living had something to do with it. Production had been lessened, and then there was the high cost of production. But this was* going to be a far more serious thing in Britain and other countries, and wo had to import a lot ot things from those places. He thought the most important cause of all was what was taking place in connection with tho currency. We could not finance a war without paper money, and it had been issued in enormous quantities, particularly in Britain. What had happened was that the value of money had gone down, rather than that the value of commodities had gone up. Not til] the currency had been got b ack could we get back, to normal. He did not think we. would ever really get right hack to normal, but we would *!et W.* to prosperity. For that matter we were prosperous now. Another thing was that we must exert ourselves. Hard work and production were essential whether we toiled in a printing-house or on a station. If wo did this we would come right, and it would not take Tery long. In England they werb commencing to withdraw the paper currency, and wReTPThe surplus was withdrawn, things, including the American currency trouble, would come right.