The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-08-03
Bread, War and Politics

XKADSl hEh ~ . STATISTICAL index Tor the year
sqdsd Jpy lashpws. 4 hgrizqntal increase in
commodity prices Of 1873 per cent. This is Amer
ica's contribution to the European war, .5-.
A year ago, commodity price; were declared to
have reached point beyond al reason, and pop
ular clamor demanded an ending Of those causes
which had unduly increased the high cost OF liv-
ing" ...'... 49,. =, -. Il. b
On top OF this came the war, bringing an almost
complete suspension of all import trade, and
paralysis in magyilinss Of tpanufacturet dependent
on a supply of raw materials from abroad. Il Gov
eminent revenues have decreased while expendi-
lures have become heavier. There has been ex-
tensiye unemployment in many lines and a COM
mon lack of confidence which has reacted to re-
tard progress" The country is working at half
speed. the attention of all mankind having been
distracted by the noise and smoke of carnage just
beyond our borders. - * %#ys
Yet men must live, and so it has resulted that
costs and expenses have gone on mounting in
steady ratio while production waited to see what
the end might be. \ %&&a
There has been feverish haste to create war
munitions factories and manufacture war supplies
but when the war ends, those who have invested
their capital in this business will suddenly find
their market gone and much of their investment
wasted The manufacture of guns, armor, uni
FORMS cartridges and high explosives to supply
belligerents during the progress of war is a
gambling venture. The cessation of war may ab7
ruptly end all profit taking.
Temporarily and in one-sded way, the United
States has benefited from the European war but
the people as whole have had to pay dearly for
the slight apparent gain With the cost Of aIl
articles entering into the daily consumption of the
common people nearly one-seventh higher than
i was before the war there has been universal
slackening in energy applied to production. ~
1t will be many years before this war is paid
for because when it ends many markets will have
absolutely disappeared and to give work toruur
people new ones will have to be created. Pros
perity can only again come to the United States
with full productive employment developed to its
utmost. 1t is perhaps the greatest asset of the
American people that they are a new race, mobileg
virile not welded to the conventions, and already
accustomed to more quickly conform to changing
conditions than the nations Of Europe '.c /.
High prices are not synonymous with prosperity
unless'eNery factory is busy and every laborer en-
Ployed at wages which are. sufficient to enable
all to live The level of wages always ags Hence
commodity prices must fall before wages can rise
to meet them, but that period will not come until
business confidence resumes and the majority
have better vision of the direction their efforts
are to take aleaa
Whatever satisfaction the American people NAV
feel towards the Administration for having kept
the country out of war, there be no gainsaying
the fact that the course of national development
outlined by President Wilson is not the one which
the majority of the American people would follow
AS patriotic Americans we give him our fullest
support in all matters where national honor is the
consideration, but in blazing a pathway along
which he believes the commercial destiny of the
nation lies, the American people do not follow
President Wilson. There is deep-seated lack OF
confidence that the political destines of the Uni
ted States lead in the direction he has outlined
To overcome the high cost of living all men
must have supreme confidence in the future To
bear the tremendous war cost men will be content
to scrimp and save and await in patience an end
ing of the carnage, as best each may. But after
It is ended, to go ahead, to make good to the
greatest reward for the common every days labor
Americans must feel that their ship of state is
headed over charted course towards safe har-
Dor. Voyages of national discovery are well and
good at long intervals, but the passengers feel
safer when the ship gets back into the regular
traffic lanes. E-'s
hTL1sL IN n