THE CHICKENS COMING HOME

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18468, 1 February 1922, Page 6

THE CHICKENS COMING HOME

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —When a Government has deliberately suggested to the dominion that during a period of nine years private contracts may be ignored, and has provided machinery whereby they may be effectively neglected, no one need -be surprised that the Prime Minister has been asked if there is any chance of a cutting down of the mortgages. His, reply was that, so far as the oompulsoryW reduction of mortgages was concerned, it was quite out ot the question, as the Government would not confiscate part of the money lent on property, and that was what it amounted to. His answer sounds well, but methinks Mr Massey must have felt a little sick if ho realised that the chickens are coming home to roost. It is difficult to establish unsound finance without reaping disaster, and to me it appears cogent evidence of unsoundneas that there are men so naked and unashamed as to suggest that Government should rob others if they themselves obtain relief. Granting that it may have been necessary to create a moratorium for a few months at the beginning of the war, it will be admitted later, as so it appears to me, that to have such an indulgence prolonged for nine years implies an innocence of human nature unrelieved by even a superficial knowledge of economies. If the terms of a mortgage had never' been interfered with by Parliament I for one do not believe that a panic would have been the result. Assume that a farmer was properly working his land or tending' his flocks, few mortgagees would in 1915 have exercised their power of sale. The fact is that nobody then wanted land.

Only to a. few clever ones had it theu been revealed that our patriotism and. our purses could share in abnormal prices for our primary products.' While the farmers were making huge profits and interest began to rise and dividends to swell, it quite naturally occurred to many of them that, when it was easy for them to make higher interest or profit in other investments. it would be dishonest to themselves and their dear ones to repay long interest mortgages borrowed to suit their own pur poses. These good people accordingly went m for motor cars and other “gfit-edsred investments.” Many of the knowing ones sold their farms at fabulous prices, and an army of good men and true (not engaged in warfare) motored through the land from north to south, from east to west, preaching the good tidings that our fighting boys must have food and that the Mother Band must pay for it. Thanks be ! and God save the King! Many foolish ones bought farms. Many knowing ones sold and retired. These latter made a welcome addition to the population of the cities, where they built for themselves _ commodious houses joined the various social leagues, and generally adopted such' other courses as might be expected where county families mingle with city folk. Some there were who stuck to the farms upon which they had spent the real part of their lives. They saved their gains and are able now to stand their losses. All honour to them! They represent an important section of the community, and no man need grudge to such men the gains brought to them by the late war. Few of ua can hear with dignity a sudden leap from gutter to motor car. The grievance of the community is against those interested who have for sordid reasons cajoled the greedy, the foolish, and the incompetent to buy farms at inflated prices with the sug gestion that to do so made them farmers. If the vendors find it difficult to collect their purchase money and the purchasers fail_ to make both ends meet—well, that is their affair. Their contracts were not made for the benefit of the community, and by a little temporary inoonvetiinence tho dominion would not suffer, because the land would still be there, and it can always be worked at a fair profit when it can be obtained at a fair price. Robbing Peter to pay Paul ihas never yet extricated Paul from his difficulties. The brains of the Government seem to mo to be directed to schemes to assist these self-made sufferers to “get out” at the expense of the community.

New Zealand is practically committed to a meat pool. Robbed of fine phrases and reduced to bare facts, the pool is merely a scheme to compel the consumer to guarantee the producers against loss. It possesses the merits of a tail which undertakes to wag the dog. Consider the pathos of a sparselypopulated, debt-ridden little colony marching forth to combat the Home market. Thanks be! “Tli© scheme is senseless; far from it—-co-operation.” It is to be feared that the sugar-coated schemes of our Minister to avert losses without loss and to restore the community to health without medicine will meet the fate which attends so many well-laid schemes for the benefit of the community. Poor humanity seem? to bo suffering at present from some subtle complaint symptomed by spinal weakness. It is to be feared that the schemes of Parliament will crash as has ended every scheme for the improvement of humanity which was not based upon the three-fold plank of labour, temperance, and thrift. These fundamentals are so unpalatable that no member who desires re-election dare pose as their champion. “After, me the deluge, but it. is up to me to delay the deluge for my own rake."—l am, etc., , Anne Ltdd. January 28.