RAISING THE WIND.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 27, 1 June 1915, Page 4

RAISING THE WIND.

Discussing the matter of a war tax and private benevolence the Chrjstclmrch Press says: With the general principle of the resolutions passed by the Dunedin Patriotic Association's executive there will no doubt be a good deal of sympathy. The first of these is to the effect that the entire cost of the equipment of the hospital ship should be undertaken by the Govermuent, as being a military necessity, and that the public should only be asked to contribute for extra comforts. The second is that immediately on Parliament assembling legis-

latiou should be passed to provide that the whole cost of the war .should be met by a war tax. At the same time, it would be a thousand pities to check in any way the How of private benevolence in connection with the war. and we desire to point out that it (s not possible, or even desirable, that the line should be drawn quite so sharply as the Dunedin executive would, seem to suggest. That a war tax will have to be imposed is certain, and as the expenses being inclined are enormous, it will be a heavy i tax unless a considerable portion oi the expenditure is funded and repayment is spread over a number of I years. It must not be forgotten that the Government are simply trustees for the taxpayers, niul as these include a very large number of people who already have a difficulty in making both ends meet, it is the duty cf the Government to exercise due care in ill*' expenditure of the money even 1 in such matters as making provision j for sick and wounded, it, is undoubtedly the business of the Government to provide essentials, but when this! is done there is still considerable scope lor the exercise of private benevolence.!