The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 1916. TRADING WITH THE ENEMY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 47, 31 January 1916, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 1916. TRADING WITH THE ENEMY.

The matter of trading with the enemy is one which vitally concerns everyone of us as loyal subjects of the Empire. Not. only is injury being done to our traders, but it is an insult to their intelligence that the products of their industry should be deemed unequal w the foreign stuff, Further, the profits of all enemy business are being devoted it is quite certain, to the war funds' of the Hun instead of swelling our own resources, which the necessity of husbanding in view of the prolongation of the struggle cannot be too strenuously advocated and practised throughout the Empire. The authorities at Home and in the Overseas Dependencies have long recognised the urgency of the case, and legislation dealing with it in a serious vein has been placed upon the Statute Books by various Governments. Under these laws, wherever charges have been brought forward, the offenders have been mulcted in heavy fines, but still there are to he found the unscrupulous who reck not of the morrow, either from an Imperial viewpoint or that of their own interests. The trouble which arose in different towns in tin's Dominion some months ago, when firms whose principals or shareholders were known or supposed to.be enemy subjects, is an indication of the strong feeling held among the general public' in the matter, and while the ethics of such proceedings are variously received and are always questionable, it \vasj unfortunate that in some cases the damage done to the properties raided was altogether the result of mistaken identity, so to speak. Stratford narrowly escaped the obloquy attached to these raids, for a, time feeling being high, but even now occasionally there' are sinister remarks about the loyalty of certain subjects and rumors of the fill,, that they or their businesses deserve 1 . For instance, it is stated that in an outlying district there is a minor Government official who makes no sec,ct of the fact '.hat he 'ought against us in the Boer war. and his little references to the present life-and-death struggle leave no manner of doubt whatever that his sympathies are not quite wholly with the Allies. Galling it must be to those who perforce work under such an individual. Then, m connection with certain businesses in

Taranaki towns, persistent rumors are afloat as to the loyalty both of the employers and some of the employed who are of foreign extraction. Indeed, it is alleged, that in one case money lias been sent to a brother of one man , fighting in the Austrian Army, and j that remarks derogatory to the British j iace are not uncommon between some i o!' these people in their every-day conversation. These cases refer more particularly to the unearthing of disloyal or enemy subjects, but the principle of trading with the enemy is underlying them, and a few judicious inquiries by the authorities at the present time may lie the means of averting trouble in the future. Referring again to the pursuit of enemy trade, we read that Mr L, M. Isitt. M.P., has written to the Department of internal Affairs regarding an attempt to get German goods into New Zealand through a neutral channel, giving his personal experience in the matter, which occurred in Christchurch. The position of the Government was clearly stated on Friday in a reply by the Prime Minister the lion. \V. F. Massey to a representative of the Xew Zealand Times, showing their emphatic desire to stamp out anything in the nature of trading with the enemy. He said: "If any person in this country, commercial man or otherwise knows j or even suspects that enemy goods are finding their way into New Zealand, or that New Zealanders are doing business with the enemy in any way, the' Government would like to have -particulars. I shall be veryglad indeed to receive information from .any quarter bearing upon this • question, providing that something tangible in the way of evidence can be produced. The Government is opposed' to trading with the enemy in any j form, and will do its utmost to put it, down. We have done a great deal already in the direction of preventing enemy goods coming into this country and cutting off business relations ( with the enemy countries," added Mr, Massey, "but I can quite believe that, more requires to be done. The Go-j vernment is prepared to act directly cause is shown. The powers at our disposal, under the Acts passed in. 101 l and 1915, are ample to enable us; to deal drastically with enemy trade and enemy goods if they reach this country." j