TYPICAL TOPICS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue 13047, 10 January 1917, Page 6

TYPICAL TOPICS.

Specially Written for the Oamaru Mail. (By Criticus.) THE OLD ROUTINE. We have our spells and. .seasons., of holiday and relaxation, restingstages on the busy high way of life, wherewith, a sigh "of thankfulness we enter the wayside inn and layj ourselves out to take.our ease with a mighty content. And'such'-a season we haye just had, yet how 'brief it- was. We had just begun to appreciate the delicious ease of "far niente" when the rail was again sounded and reluctantly we took up the old yoke and resumed the old jog-trot, amid the same people and the sairie circumstances we were all so glad to miss for a short time —"the world forgetting, by the world forgot." That is the worst—or is it the best? —of all holidays. They end, and once again we are up against life with all its problems and worries and anxieties. But perhaps, the truest happiness is his who "drinks delight of battle with his peers" on the great battlefield of life and' the worst purgatory the man of healthy instincts could endure . would be the sybaritic existence of the useless human slug, who dreams his life away in perpetual holiday. So we face the road again with high hopes and hearts, and this brief fit of moralising may be forgiven bv readers who will find' more of direct criticism of actual events, and problems than of nebulous speculations in these columns. So with a hurried apology for finding myself among the prophets, I turn to simpler matters, which moredirectly concern and interest simple people like myself. THE HIGH EXPLOSIVE ARGUMENT.

Until matters develop further, and until (to be frank) I have again caughtup. with the arrears of controversy "which have been running on during the past week or two, it seems fair enough that this great wheat question should be dealt- with here upon broad lines and principles. I have a recollection that- a critic of mine who rejoices in the penname of "High Explosive" recently submitted through the Mail a balancesheet, showing the cost of raising a crop of oats on his own farm last year, and challenging me to dispute its 'accuracy. I have not got a copy of that letter now, and if I had I am not sure that it would be worth the trouble of disputing it in detail. But. from my recollection of the trend' of the argument, I shall deal with the letter as fairly as* possible. The argument ran that as labor and land cost so much, and as the return from the crop yielded l ." only so much, it was fair and' reasonable that the farmer should be allowed to charge the public as much for the crop as would yield him a fajy profit, quite regardless of the fact- that- such a charge might be quite excessive, to the purchasers. Now tvill that argument lipid water for a moment? Last year was a year of exceptional drought, which as legal terminology has it, is always an "act of God." So it amounts to this, that in normal years of abundant crops and plentiful labor the farmer will be allowed to sell as highly as possible and prosper exceedingly, and! when the lean years come he will make the public responsible for the "act of God" and make them recoup him for his losses! Iff will not share his profits with the people, but lie will insist that they should share his losses. Such ' a harebrained argument is worthy of Bedlam or -Seacliff, Bedlam's New Zealand equivalent. Again let it be remembered that farming must not be allowed to claim privileges which no other trade thinks of claiming. Take any business you choose, by way of example. A man planning to engage in such a business examines it, weighs; up its possibilities, ; its probable gains and probable losses, and decides to embark on it. fie.knows well enough that it will not be all plain sailing, that- he must have his- losses as well as his gains, but to claim that the ! people should: be compelled to make good his losses, which he knew mustcome, is a monstrous proposition and argues a- total lack of the sense of justice. Again what would farmers have done but for the war boom ? There harve been previous- droughts in "New Zealand, and the farmers, free then-"from •this lust of war profiteering, bore their losses, without whining, and striking .'an average, may be said to have prospered exceedingly. The present cry that they -must never suffer loss at all but al-ways-be preserved in a- tranquil heaven of . money-making is-ari idiotic one,—so idiotic, indeed, that-the most sagacious and fair-minded farmers have as much contempt for it as I have. I must leave my "High Explosive" friend there, but if" he desires further attention I shall be most happy to oblige him. Need I add that I am never reluctant to meetany critic? But perhaps my readers understand' that. THE LUST FOB LOOT.

We in New Zealand here are living in years that are weltering through' a long succession of commercial' scandals and' immoralities. It may be as bad or worse in the. Homeland or the otherdominions. That is not our. immediate concern. Ours it is rather to protest with passion and' vehemence against courses'in our national commerce that brand us as unscrupulous spoilers and looters, busily engaged, ill thieving and ; roguery the wliile we mouth unctuous; words of lofty sentiment. Our 1110 fcto might well be "the Empire's difficulty is New Zealand's opportunity"—ol* rather that sinister but powerful. section in New Zealand jvlio dominate our commercial life. This lust for loot began in the early stages of the war, and", like many another evil, it lias grown and 1 fed: on itself until now it stretches its tentacles across the land and holds' it in relentless grip. It need not be assumed that farmers are worse or better than others at this profiteering game. For me, I have always an in-

terest in the farmer, realising the supreme importance of his work. It is w.ell that he should be treated' with a fairness and consideration, bordering even upon generosity.. But there is a world of difference between generous and exorbitant terms, between an anxiety to make a fair deal, and that limitless rapacity which; will -have the ultimate cent though every higher consideration should go to tlffe dfevil. So it is that -my sympathies are fully with those farmers who desire a- fair show and a square, deal, but I have not a scrap of sympathy for the smaller classi who are out to tile Empjre and their own fellows in New;' Zealand here of the uttermost farthing. This small class of contemptible blood-suckers do incalculable harm to farmers ( as a class,_ and many farmers will read a wholehearted' condemnation of the vampires, with unqualified approval. Again and again I would press the point that my whole complaint is against the • unworthy farmer who puts his money before aught else. For the best patriotis and the fairest men I know are farmers, and that they sometimes, pass under review here is due simply to their own importance and to the fact that they produce for us all so much of the necessaries of life. To blame the farmer and let the far worse speculator off Scot-free would be ridiculous, and I hope none of us make "that silly take. "Barrabas' was a robber"—l think lie must', have been a middleman or speculator. ! • - THE WHEAT SCANDAL. : '

The whole story of our national dealings in wheat for the past two-years is a sordid one, honeycombed with unscrupulous greed and avarice. In 1914 in the month of February when the new harvest's crop became available the price was 3s 4d per bushel. In March it- rose to 3s 6d, and in April to 3s Bd, at which price it stood till the outbreak of war in August, when it rose to 4s 3d. That would give ;;ti average price for that normal period of an average year of 3s 6d—.it might be held' thii t the year was not up to the aver- j ags . but let us concede that point. An,, absolutely fair deduction would be that

in normal years an average price of 3s 6d paid the fanner. But we a?*! living | in abnormal days, and abnormal conditions rule wheat-growing, just as they, nil" all other industries. To balance these abnormal conditions, a- due and iair allowance must lie made. Farming expenses have risen, and it is quite fair to hold that if the farmer must grow wheat in the public interest he must be recouped for those extra expenses, so that lie may retain his average standard of comfort and wellbeing. If these extra expenses amountto Is or Is 6d per bushel —and that ;.eems a very big increase—let it be added to the price, which would then approximate the tentative figures put forward recently ill the MaiTby a Agapara farmer, who was shocked at the rapacity of the - farniovs who (1 ein-i :i, '

price that was sheer/extortion. Let it be understood clearly that the public will not grudge that such additional expenses.- should' be ; added, but 'they will resent being called upon to pay the ac-f cidental losses caused by a; possible' drought which every farmer has already allowed for in his calculations and" table of averages. The .matt'eivis merely one for adjustment ! by f responsible and representative mcn;',and' had the farmers come-'forward'with such a proposal no fair.man-could have condemned them.. But'what-was their proposal? It was- that they should be guaranteed a price'of 6s 3d —equal' to an increase of 2s 9d per bushel 011 the average price immediately prior to the war. No,w. make what allowances you choose, you,; will not get- any man with any pretension to commonsense who will hold .thatthe proposal was not extortionate _ and rapacious, utterly disgraceful to" the.men who put it forward and'supported it. Wheat must be d'earer than in normal times —we know that, but we can never admit the justice of a claim to bleed and fleece the public just because accidental circumstances seem to make; such bleeding and fleecing possible. Let it be clearly understood that the farmers' demand is that- they' should be allowed to make a war profit- over and above their legitimate profit. . Reader, are you willing to hand over t-o them such a profit, unearned and undeservedby them? I am not. Be generous to thtm in the matter of rights and fairplay, but when they proceed to rapacity, come down on them like an avalanche.

THE STRAIGHT FARMER ON THE QUESTION.

With what unutterable contempt the clean, straight farmers look upon this exhibition of greed by their hungry brothers one can learn by recalling the letter of the. Ngapara farmer. He s-peaka of these Shylocks as making ' 'deplorable exhibitions of the worst side of their nature —I refer to this rapacious proposal of 6s 3d 011 trucks and the 'Government to exempt- the necessary labor from military service." And this farmer has adumbrated a scheme for the settlement- of the problem which certainly is a thousand times better, and more practical', and more patriotic than all the suggestions put forward at the. notorious conference. Where, indeed, it might seem as if the: farmers were there intent only on scraping in the last possible fraction, regardless of every single interest but their own. He suggests that an offer should' be inadei 011 the advice of the experts of the Board of Agriculture, and- gives, tentative ■ figures'-of from 4s 9d to 5s 3d. He has met the whole difficulty of "holding back" for a rise by suggesting that if such a rise took place t-ho early sellers should receive the. amount of the rise .with an added bonus of 5 per cent. —a most admirable plan of checkmating the speculator. And does lie not get at the kernel of the question when he declares that the "6s 3d proposed at the wheat-growing conference. would not at the present time maie for more improvements 011 the farm, or better methods of farming, but merely dearer land, more motorcars, and labor unrest." No student- of social. life will dispute the contention. The present orgy" of-" profiteering must bring its Nemesis, and farmers are fools if they do not see that the vice will bring its own reward. At present it gives them money and motors. Nemesis' may well enough come in the 'forin of an uprising of the" workers, who will not forever be content t-o be flouted and exploited as they have been during tlife- past year or two. There is-a stage beyond which it is not safe to canv/ such a- game, and the safety point has Vlready been passed. Wise men recogliise the fact and advise a slowing down; the others think the game can go 011 always and they scorch gaily ahead. But trouble -awaits them and they will "certainly, come a cropper before long. Indeed even-the most; foolish are beginning to get uneasy, i LASTLY.

A halt must be called' and I find that only the fringe of the subjecF-has been touched, but we have not heard the last of tlic' wheat, business bv' any means and there will be many more opportunities of drawing attention to'the later and . future developments. One thing the average farmer might do and that is to. c.ease from jeremiads and waitings which we don't believe at.a 11—which indeed we resent as an insult to 1 our intelligence. Never have farming, and farmers prospered in New Zealand! as now. • Good! luck v to them, say we,* but they raise insincere : and hypocritical cries of hardships and diffi-T cutties as an excuse for exploiting .us; we lo.se>' patiende. They do not deceive, anybody, and might as"well give up an eminently silly performance. They had a very bad year last year, but tllat is simply luck which must always - be l reckoned-with and their luck was not i so bad- and hard' as if there were 110 war and War prices. To hold that- they should be compensated for all these losses which are unavoidable would be about as reasonable as if shopkeepers should urge that the Government should compensate them for bad debts —on of the war. For every tradesman has his bad debts, and' every farmer' has his ba,d seasons, and' both, classes lav their accounts! in full recognition of that fact.