THE PRICE OF VICTORY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 78, 5 June 1945, Page 4

THE PRICE OF VICTORY

THOUGH fifteen fewer millions have to be raised for this year's Victory Loan the work of the District War Loan Committees seems to be no easier and it has to be confessed m this fourth week that the loan is lagging. There is no lessening of enthusiasm among campaign workers, no adverse current of public opinion, everybody has the best of feelings but the great majority arQ slow to act. The proof is that the number of investors in stock compared with the total at the corresponding point in the forty million pound loan campaign is less to the extent of two tb.ousand. Six war loans have all been over subscribed and all the evidence in the way of bank credits, mortgages repaid, wages raised and increased prices of farm products proves that New Zealanders could easily lend another twenty-live pounds from their incomes to help the financing of total victory. Their high standard of living would not be reduced. It is total war on all fronts. Men are still being conscripted for the fighting services and the majority of those who remain at home male and female are subject to direction so that all phases of the war effort shall be maintained, but it is a voluntary appeal when it comes to loans because patriot# ism should be powerful enough without enforcement by regulation. Whakatane's own figures do not reflect any credit on the town. The district quota; amounts to £71,543 of which Whakatane is expected to raise £55,332.. To date, little over 18 per cent, of this sum has beep deposited by subscribers. It is aparent that a proportion of the community is either slow in making up its mind or is willing to leave the rest of the victory winning process to the more patriotic section. New Zealand's war record, a brilliant one in every respect should not be dimmed by any slackening at this stage. No matter what happens to the Victory Loan the war will go on and the fighting" men will get all the equipment they need because money will be found and found. This year no citizen can shirk this duty. In total war the National War Council hopes that the influence of personal appeals by members of the District War Loan Committees is about to be shown in a greatly accelerated rate of daily subscriptions. There will have to be a minimum of approximately £650,000 for every remaining day of the bloodless battle of the home front if our part is to be creditably played.

Overseas Bursaries Covering 18 subjects 23 ex-service-men had by the end of April been granted bursaries by the Rehabilitation Board states the monthly report of the Rehabilitation Department. Of these five were for veterinary science two for town planning one (a travelling scholarship) for architecture, one for modern languages and one for physical training. Licenses Issued Following is an extract from the County Clerk's report at the annual meeting of he Whakatane County Council held recently*. Comparative figures for last year are shown in brackets: 5791. (5.337) licenses and permits were issued of which 2130 (1978) were drivers' SOI (701) heavy traffic licenses, and 2732 (2706) dog licenses. The license receipt was £5058 12s lOd (£1503 5s Gd).

Blinded Ex-servicemen There are now 21 totally blinded ex servicemen from, this wa; and 12 partially blinded recorded with the Rehabilitation according to the department's monthly review. This includes those at the Fairview Home l'or Blinded Ex-Ser-vicemen at Auckland. Relief Smokers who were envisioning four weary heartbreaking weeks without so much as a fag end to draw on will breathe a sigh of relief when they hear the good news that the cigarettes did not arrive in the town last Wednesday. If they had been a day or two early, they would have been stored in the Loan and Mercantile Office and would have, without doubt, either gone prematurely up in smoke, or else been soaked with water which, no matter how pure does not improve the bouquet of any tobacco..

kill the remainder of .starvation as the result of noil circulation. We will have no Noah with a giant Ark to save enough to start another world, but Ave have men with any amount of brains and foresight to save the peoples of this world. Liberty is here, and paid lor, it can control the octopus with his feelers in your pockets. A very small leeler of this octopus once said: 'If we can deflate Germany's currency we have Germany in our hands.' Hence the first great civilian slaughter. Now the same fate stares production in the face and tliosc who are ! content to watch and not act will see little Clouds of smoke rising all around them. Trust those whom you ask to represent the Dominion's progress no matter whatever other opinion you may have. There is only one chan--nel open to approach this control and be wholeheartedly behind it, We all had a taste of .the effect of the 1914.-18 war. Yours ete. ? P. MORAk