WAR NEEDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24328, 19 June 1940, Page 6

WAR NEEDS

THE DUTY OF COMMERCE SACRIFICES ESSENTIAL FUTILITY OF PROFIT ECONOMY The need for a new economic order, and a changed attitude to wealth, property and commerce, to support the national war effort and the so-called conscription of weatlh was enrmhasised at last night’s meeting of the Chamber of Commerce by Mr R. C. Burgess, who said that business gnd property were no longer sources of profit, but a means of reinforcing national effort and assisting in the building up of those resources of equipment and supplies so badly needed at the present time by the Empire. Old Order No More Conscription, said Mr Burgess, was not enough. It must have an economic order to support it. The economic order the country and the Empire once enjoyed had gone, and to-day conditions demanded a standard of living sufficient only to maintain health and strength. They had to find what new economy was. Britain entered the last war with taxation at Is 2d in the £ and a National Debt of a few hundred millions which could have been paid off in a couple of weeks. At the outset of the present war taxation was at 7s 6d in the £ and the National Debt totalled thousands of millions. If they were to have anything left for reconstruction when peace came they must put the key in many doors and keep them closed. Idle and thoughtless consumption was hindering the war effort, and business men had no right to tell the Government it was not doing its job until they had made sure they were doing their own. To the extent which New Zealand was trying to cling to a standard of living that was too high it was hindering the cause for which the Empire was fighting. The war could not be fought out of next year’s income or any other income, but the national income of the present. The old profits economy no longer existed and no matter how conservative or reluctant commerce may be, business and industry must now be used only to create destructiveness for Hitler and the requirements of the peace. Wealth; .ability and property entitled everyone only to a standard of living. Everything else should go to the prosecution of the war and the achievement of victory. A war ioughi on a debt economy would make it almost impossible for young people of the future to marry and bring up families. What they must realise as a Chamber of Commerce was that they must put their house in order and do their best —an honest best—before they told others what to do. Defeatism Deplored The speaker deplored defeatism, which was prevalent in Dunedin, as a vicious form of “ fifth column ” activity.! People could be heard they did not peiieve the stories of German atrocity; they even said it might oe no worse under Hitlerism than under the British Flag. What they forgot was that they were living in ihe most glorious hour of the Empire’s history. Hitler’s victories were all negative, and by their very nature must defeat the object for which he was striving. Britain must, and would, win provided her people themselves were true; provided they were prepared to pay a price for what they held sacred and wished to retain. After several speakers had supported the general principle of Mr Burgess’s remarks, the speaker said he would like to ask a question, and he Wanted a candid reply. Did the average business man understand the position properly? Did he know what sacrifice he had to make? If he did not he would do nothing, and the first duty of the chamber was to show him the way and explain what was required of him. “ It would be a wonderful thing,” Mr Burgess said, “if they could get a general expression from business interests in Otago that their businesses were no longer theirs beyond what was needed for a reasonable standard of living and a realisation that everything now belonged to the State. Mr Churchill had achieved that at Home, and he was doing a magnificent job. There was New Zealand’s leadership, if leadership was wanted.”