PUBLIC MEETING.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 241, 1 July 1915, Page 4

PUBLIC MEETING.

THE CAEITIVAI. POSTPONED.

was a large attendance at the Town Hull, Inst night to reconsider the proposal adopted by a previous public meeting to hold a carnival in Taihapc in aid of the Wounded Soldiers’ Fund. The Mayor (Mr. A. L. Anwsmith) presided.

An apology for non-attendance was received from Mr. R. W. Smith, M.P.; also from Messrs. Mercer, W. Cornford, J. Currie, and Fordo, who were unavoidably absent.

The chairman explained that a previous public meeting had decided upon holding a carnival, and it was liecausc people were not of one mind ho had called this meeting, so that everyone might have an opportunity of ventilating his ideas. It was the worst thing that could happen that there should bo any dissension. He hoped everyone would say what he wished to say so

that they might have a clear understanding. Every member of the committee that had been appointed was willing to go off and would willingly support any committee that might bo elected in their place. The committee had mot and decided to carry the carnival through, but they could not afford to have any saying it was not being done according to their ideas; they must have no dissension; eve-

one must work together. Owing to tne little differences of opinion the secret ary and his assistant had handed in

their resignations. Mr. Smith said he was one who wrote to the paper, differing with the carnival proposals, but with regard to the appointment of the secretaries, they could not have two more satisfactory for the position. It was the carnival he objected to. One could not go along the street without being pressed to buy tickets. He hoped that local bodies would bring pressure to bear to make the Government to impose a war tax. If a penny rate were struck over the Eangitikei County it would raise £25,000, and the costs of collecting it would bo practically nil. Carnivals were a costly way of raising money. He thought the whole meeting should pass a resolution calling upon the Government to make due provision for ■what was necessary when the men returned.

Mr. Catherwood opposed the carnival. He argued that it was unseemly. He said the whole world was one huge house of mourning; New Zealand was only part of it. It did not seem -proper to stand in one room carrying on a carnival while others were lying dying in the next room. The money- raised would be taken from the pockets of the poor who had already ;giveu, and given heroically. A war tax must conic. He asked whether our men were coining back to depend upon those small charities. Some rich men were only giving small amonnts;thc war tax-- woull touch everybody.

Mr. H. D. Bennett said it seemed to ' him that it was a question of what wan the best method - f raising fv-i.ds to meet war expenses. No doubt the policy put forward for raising money by way of a tax was something in the way of a class measure. Tlic view of a previous speaker was that nothing in the way of a carnival should be encouraged because it touched the pocket of the man in the street.—gathered in the nimble shilling, odd shillings that would only eome in in this way, shillings from those that do not count. But that seemed to him sufficient argumentin favour of holding a carnival. Perhaps the only answer they could give to Mr. Catherwood wa*s that the ends justified the means. It was right and proper that there should be respect for bereavement —for those who wore in the house of mourning—but it seemed that they must sacrifice something, either their ideals or something else.

They would find that by a carnival and entertainments they could raise a fund by which they could render some good to the returned soldiers, then the end justified the means. With respect to what Mr. Smith advocated, that the whole responsibility should be put upon the Government, the policy was a good and sound one and a war tax must eventually come; but it seemed to him that they should regard this as thenlast card. Large sums of money would be required and they should first gath- j or in the nimble shillings which would I enable the accumulation of a large amount. They should collect all that ■.'was possible, then the Government •shvuld strike one heavy blow and that blow should strike the people who had mo.st But this was their last card, and it -sluuld be kept up their sleeve as

I | long ; at' possible. He urged the collec-t-ion rjqf as much money as they could. At the- present time we did not know the strength of the enemy, neither did we know -.whether the enemy had played his last (Curd or not. The winning of the war -worfh2 depend upon the supply of men and money, and it was for the people to guard tf-he financial aspect. In his opinion they should hold on to the long purse stf long ns possible. Let the ;i inf bio shilling jb« collected while it is ■available, and whea ihat failed theycould tielr last card, He wanted 1 to imgrt>W upon the meeting that he considered ft war ta-jr right sued proper, : but the Hate was not yet- come when : they could pTi&tfe full depended uposji brt-fitne for their purpose 1

when the war was finished—that was ! the time when they would have the greatest need for it. In order that, differences might be overcome in the most amicable way, he moved that the earn val be held but that it stand over for the present and be started again in the summer months. Continuing, Mr. Bennett said that to hold a carnival successfully they wanted all the resources of the district behind it. Those living in the country should be invited to do their part, but at this time the reads were bad, the weather was bad, and the night wore short. It was absolutely essential that they should have the cooperation of everyone. One largo former had said to him that lie could not be expected to bring his wife and family into town to attend at this time of die year. If they wanted to raise two or three thousand pounds it could be done bettor and with more success about Christmas time than it could now.

Mr. Gordon opposed the carnival altogether. He said they had sent their boys to fight and now they wore asked to sacrifice their ideals. Ho was not present at the first public meeting but would like to express his views. He argued that something should be done for our wounded soldiers but this move

for a carnival was premature. They did not know what the Government we = going to do. In a lengthy speech he urged that the Government was tin only body that should.bear the burden of providing for the wounded men. He considered the methods at present proposed for raising funds was nothing but charity, and a very second-class charity at that, A carnival was an expensive way of raising money while Government could collect at a cost of 2 or 3 per cent. As Mr. Bennett had said, the costs of providing for our wounded was not a thing of the present but for the future. He went on to discuss the gambling and generally ethical aspect and said a carnival was absolutely unjust. The willing horse would do the work while others would grow fat ou the blood of our soldiers. There seemed to be two ways open for raising money—oho was the carnival, the other was bv organising to got the Government to take action. No Government or party could resist the pressure that meetings could bring to bear. He criticised the Taihapo Chamber of Commerce with regard to its proposals for trade within the Empire. To pledge ourselves not to buy from enemy nations, he thought, was wrong. The hate that had been generated would take a generation-to die out.

Mr. James said, in order to arrive at an understanding, lie would ask Mr. Bennett to make his proposal that the carnival be held over till such time as the committee thinks is opportune to go on with it. On Mr. Bennett acquiescing, he seconded the resolution. There

were one or two remarks from previous speakers he could not allow to pass, the majority of whom senior! to be labouring the question of war taxation. The Government at present had no right to levy taxation and we have no right to know what that taxation would bo — that was a matter for Parliament. It must also be recognised that no Paris a ment will look into individual eases. They will provide for soldiers’ pensions and relief for their dependents, but in levying that taxation Parliament would not take into consideration any sums of money raised voluntarily in any part of the country, which will be to assist our boys and have nothing to do with Parliament. In Wellington they had raised about £IOO,OOO, and Taihape should have done more, but ho believed a bigger sum of money would be raised if the carnival was gone on with in the summer time. Government would give, bare pensions, but voluntary money, was to provide comforts and something more than what Government could provide. If a man got a pension of £IOO a year, which was a bigger sum than had ever been paid by any country, it would not leave room for comforts. Our voluntary contribu tious would supplement the pensions. With regard to the statement that the ccarnival was unfair to those whohad al

ready given, he took it that they had given with their own free will. If we have given more than we can afford there was none of us who have given like those for whom the fund is being created. 'With all due consideration for what Mr Catherwood had said he believed he was on the wrong tack. Carnivals had proved the best method of raising the largest amount of money; then it was reasonable to say that the ends justified the means. The friends and relatives pf wounded would not expect us to give up the carnival if it is the best means of raising the money needed. If we took another parallel to Mr. Catherwood’s house of mourning, we should find that hi New Zealand there were a greater number of deaths every day than there were at the Dardanelles, but we should not go about with long faces. None of us who were bereaved would expect that every amusement should be stopped. If a carnival was the best way- to raise money we should adopt that we: . Death was all- around us at all times and It did not seem reasonable that we should be asked U> stop the carnival an that acaouat, particularly as it was for the benefit of those who urgently needed it. : -Me.. - Mr. Smith proposed a molutiom in favour of urging the Government to institute a war tax—-one that would be a ciwa tax and fall upon tkosf jYfeohad' Ven^flfted most by the wary '

Another resolution was moved to abandon the carnival altogether, but this ami Mr. Smith's resolution were not carried. The chairman, in reviewing the arguments against the carnival, said the only helpful suggestion made was the one which advised going to our oM * friend the Government. 11c need not remind every one in the room that Sooner or later we should all have {o j pay the tax —we were absolutely tain of that; but in the meantime P i!?ff could do our little bit. favour of Mr. Bennett’s pro'/rsal. If those who were opposed to the Hinival found that the majority decider to go on with it, he took it they wouldgraciusly fall in. Mr. Gordon said that was r.skiuefoo much- —it was asking them to their principles, Mr. Bennett's motion liiar the car rival be hold over rill the summer mouths was then put and arrriod nem ,%t con. A vote of thaiHs to the chair closed the m *eting.