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Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 145084, 8 September 1916, Page 2

A few days ago we published a communication from the chairman of the Board of Agriculture to Mr. J. S. Connett, president of tho Taranaki Agricultural Society, on the subject of limestone supplies for Taranaki farmers. Sir James Wilson suggested that the farmers should unite, through the Farmers’ Union or otherwise, in endeavouring to find local deposits of limestone. Wo rather fear that prospecting in this part of Taranaki would not result in any important finds, but the farmers need not go without lime on that account. There are ample supplies in easily accessible situations not very far away, which only require a little enterprise to make available. On the Mokau river, quite close to tho water, there are largo deposits of good limestone, while a little further away, at Raglan, there are largo deposits 50 situated that vessels may bo right alongside the quarry to loadSixty years ago and more considerable quantities of limestone used to be brought from Raglan, or 'Whaingaroa, to Now Plymouth. Wo do not knpw what tho estimated value of lime is for use in Taranaki 4oil, but no doubt Mr. Sergei could give a good idea. With that knowledge it thqn becqmea a question whether it can be brought from Mokau or Raglan and placed on the land here within that cost. Assuming that Taranaki soil, or at any rate.. snmo of it, requires liming, it thus "resolves itself into a simple business question. Lime is worth sp much tc the farmer; can it bo brought from Mokau or Ragland and delivered on the farm " within,: that value ? If ,it can there should ho no difficulty about obtaining the supplies with a little cooperation among farmers.

One of the means adopted for in- : creaming, the reverato. dming the- war

( was the raising of the charges for telegrams, the newspapers being particuj larly heavily penalised in this respect. The result has been a very largo decrease in telegraphic, business and a very small increase in revenue. During the month of July the net telegraph revenue was £30,951, being an increase of £6Ol over July, 1915. That is to say, that, in spite of the increased charges, the revenue only increased about 3 per cent., the general public was put to serious inconvenience and the newspapers, 1 while providing loss telegraphic news, had to pay more for it. There seems no doubt that if the charges had boon loft as they were the business would have shown a greater increase than 3 per cent. The Telegraph Department may, it is true, have succ ceded in putting the work through with a smaller staff, which may ho on advantage when so many men are required for military service. Suppose, however, the Telegraph Department had boon a private concern and the employees had demanded higher wages owing to the increased cost of living, and had been granted an increase of o per cent. The charge for telegrams would have been raised, but this would have caused business to drop oft so much that some men would have had to bo dismissed and the increase in receipts would probably not have been sufficient to pay the increase in wages. The ordinary course in private business when increases of wages arc granted is to pass them on to the public, hut the case of the Telegraph Department shows that the public has its remedy, and does not hesitate to use it. Whatever tile article, even if it is such a necessity as bread, any increase in price will reduce the consumption, and a point is reached whore a further increase in price reduces the profits instead of increasing them, thus hitting the employer, and by decreasing employment also injures the worker. The simple solution that when the cost of living goes up wages should ho increased is in fact no remedy at all, except under very favourable circumstances. The sooner the worker realises this and boldly looks for other solutions, the better for him and ,Rio country generally.