RIGHTS OF CONSUMERS

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20853, 11 July 1939, Page 6

RIGHTS OF CONSUMERS

The organisation of the Consumers’ League throughout New Zealand is no doubt a direct result of the heavy increase in the cost of living and the cost of production, particularly in industries that depend on external markets. If the organisation is controlled with care and avoids the danger of party politics it should be capable of performing good service to the country. It will be the duty of the league to use its influence to keep the cost of living and production within reason. It will put a brake upon extravagance and generally endeavour to ensure that money income recovers or retains its value.

When a branch of the league was being formed at Horsham Downs Mr J. H. Furniss gave the meeting a few home truths that must cause everyone to think. He was emphatic that the cause of the farmers’ difficulties was the great rise in the costs of everything employed in farm production while market prices remained on the old level. Many people have a clear memory of the promises of the present Government when it came into office. The Hon. P. Fraser particularly was emphatic that the Government’s programme could be carried through without increasing the cost of living. Everyone is now fully aware of the futility of that claim. All costs have in fact advanced so far that a tremendous task is involved in bringing them again into anything like reasonable relation with market values. The Consumers’ League’s greatest hope is to use the weight of its influence in the direction of promoting individual and national efficiency. Over the whole economic field there is room for adjustment which will increase the real value of money wages and other income. Idle or State-subsidised man-power must be diverted into reproductive channels, and the national effort must be bent towards producing real wealth. State expenditure must be reduced so that taxation can be eased. Only through this greater efficiency can high wages and purchasing power he maintained. There is no question that extravagance and easy living have led to inefficiency and loss of output. Those are the problems which the Consumers’ League must set out to solve.