The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 1917 HELP TO WIN THE WAR!

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 304, 24 August 1917, Page 2

The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 1917 HELP TO WIN THE WAR!

"We nothing extenuate, nor set down auoht in malice.'"

About a year ago 1 lie- people of New Zealand were called upon by the Minister <>l Finance to sub seribe a war loan of jfs.mifHiOn in ten days. The response more than justified the :i]»]»t:il, for within the allotted time the public offered more than £ l| .i)n(),o()ii. Subsequent subscriptions made a total nf £1 1,110(1,0(10 of money found in New Zealand and placed at the disposal of the Government for the prosecution of the war. At the time this seemed a threat achievement, as no doubt it was : but a southern contemporary reminds us —and the reminder is timely and important —that the mobilisation of those millions had no appreciable effect, it it had any at all, upon the ordinary financial, commercial, and industrial activities of the country- It is important to remember this, because the Government finds it necessary to make another and a larger appeal for money. As has been made clear by tbe published prospectus, the .Minister of finance is now asking the country to "go one better" than on the last occasion, and to provide him with a loan of £,'lJ,Dim,(Km. And he has asked for the whole of this amount to be subscribed by the third of next month. This means that those who have not alreadv done so

I have another ten days in whieli to make up their minds about the nialter. The time allowed !- net verv loni;, certainly. but. with the davs already «;one .since the issue ol' the prospectus, it is longer than proved sufficient on the last occas ion. It lias been very tersely .said that it surely oiu;hl not to take an\ patriotic New Xe,dander a week, or even a day. to makeup his mind that it he ha • any sa\ I available he mmlit to place I belli at t lie Sel'V'ii'O o| the I'llip"'

in tiic crisis of its fate. The prospectus speaks tor itself, and makes it clear that the terms offered to lenders are more than usually attractive. Lenders are offered the option of hearer bonds or inscribed stock, and there is a reservation of £l,ooo,<Xm available tor investors who may choose to use their scrip in payment of death duties. In the subscription of this big loan there is opportunity for the smallest investor—'for ihe permit who can only -crape together a pound or so—and for the wealthiest financier, and if each does his utmost then each will be equally entitled to the credit of having done his patriotic duty. It has been pointed out, too, that the Government have induced the banks to help investors by advancing money at a low rate of interest —per cent, is the figure mentioned—for the purpose of taking up the loan. This meets the case of patriotic citizens who desire to invest in the loan but have not the ready money Io enable them to do so within the time prescribed. It ought not to be necessary to stress the fact that it is the plain and 1 simple duty of every citizen who

ran do so to help the Government in its enormous financial needs, and that the duty is rendered easier by the knowledge that its performance involves not a sacrifice, but a good and safe investment.