NEED FOR ECONOMY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11671, 11 April 1916, Page 7

NEED FOR ECONOMY.

■ ' - »-■■■■ — POSITION IN UNITED KINGDOM. Speaking at Coventry recentlv, Mr A. D. Steel Maitland, M.P., UnderSecretary of State for the Colonies, said they had yot to win by the bravery of thejr men and by the*quantity of'nmmuntion with which they could bo provided, and they could not win Unless the people of the country, as a whole, went about their business in an economical way, wasting nothing and keeping always in view the expenditure connected * with the war. He was Afraid they ivere spending their .money too freely. They were not husbanding their resources as they should. It was not merely a question of putting by for a rainy day; it was far more important than that. Just as they ought to out down their expenses, so they ought, as the war progressed, to inerea.se their production as a country as much as possible. Tf there was a branch of work a man could, do better than-' another'let him doit. Tf there were any rules or regulations in connection with business or trade! unionism which ought to exist in or-, dinnry times, let them bo put by dur- j "ing the war without prejudice to any-, body's interests afterwards. Tf there; ■was any work which a man was doing! and which a woman could do, let the' woman turn to it and do it and let the man do the work which only a man could do. NECESSARY TO WIX. Proceeding, Mr Sieel Muitlnnd said j it was easy to see the need for bravery ; it was also comparatively easy to see the need for ammunition, but the need for economy was not so apparent and was not so easy to, be understood. Economy was just a"s necessary as bravery' and ammunition to win the war. 'They heard a. great deal about business as usual at the. beginning of the war. ft was not business as usual now. Business as usual was all right. in the first fortnight of the war, hut ■ it was the worst thing conceivable in j the thirteenth month of the conflict. That policy'certainly prevented a" panic Now what they had got to contend with was not panic, but a long strain that was hearing upon the resources of the country. It was absolutely necessary to cut clown expenses and to increase production. Sonic people said: Cannot you impose taxes? He believed frankly it would be a good thing to increase all taxes, not because such increase would in itself bring them through the war successfully, but because such a policy would force them to be more "economical in their -.expenditure., The more a man was taxed the less he had to spend. That was the only virtue in increasing taxes. TH& NATION'S' TIIA.DB. Mr Steel Maitland then- went on to deal more in detail with, -the conditions which rendered economy imperative. Each year, he said, they produced goods in the United Kingdom to the extent of £2,300,000.000 sterling. Of that sum they spent £2,000,000,000 and kept £300,000,000 to themselves. What was the position this year? Instead of being £300,000,000 to the good they were £1,000.000,000 to the bad. If, people were to realise that fact they would see what the difficulty was. Three million men had joined the colours, and/they now felt their need. They' manufacturing much less than they used 1 to, and at the same time spending * r ur immense ampimfr more! They bought from America £70,000.000 more worth of goods and they were selling them £80,000,000 worth loss. '. In conclusion the speaker said that the salvation of the country lay in an increased production and economy. If a man's income had decreased and his wife could go otiti.arid help to earn a little, by all-means let her do so. If a woman could serve as a tram conductor it was her bounden duty to serve in that capacity. A man had no right at present to buy a motor-car. Rich men would be doing their duty much better if they placed their cars away. There were various ways in which other classes of people could save, and victory lay along the path of .economy no less than along the path of bravery and material.