The Taihape Daily Times MONDAY, JULY 19, 1915. WAR FUNDS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 252, 19 July 1915, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times

MONDAY, JULY 19, 1915. WAR FUNDS.

AND WAIMAEIFO ADVOOATH. (With which la incorporated The T&ihape Post un® Walmarino News.)

The means at present in use for rais- i ing money for war purposes in New ! Zealand, with, respect to the provision . of equipment and comforts for our soldiers, is a growingly vexed question, and, judging from correspondence appearing in leading city journals, it is dangerously near becoming a serious one to many business firms throughout the whole Bomiaion. The complaints are becoming rapidly more rife in all sections of the community and the question is not only being discussed in street and club, but nearly every issue of city papers contain a voicing of protest from some correspondent against the present method of streetcadging. A. correspondent last week said that it looks as if the sinews of modern war have to be cadged from the pockets only of the generously disposed, and he mentions certain trades which are suffering as .the result of the means that we are adopting for raising money. Among the trades he enumerates are the pianoforte and music industry, millinery, fancy goods, and ,jewellery, and, he says, "unnless imj mediate and drastie steps are taken to considerably curtail the operations of weir-aneaalag, but unthinking war fund promoters, I venture to predict that few of the- foulnesses mentioned will e7ad?» the Bankruptcy : ..Court." The writer go«a ti-ti-to assures'the 'energetic' stre«& eollctora that every shilling so ;obtaiad is at the expense and to'the datrlatent of' those particnla-r trades, }aa3 aaor-e ot> le*s to other?, the Itv©?*nf v/hoBQ members is also worthy

of the highest consideration. This particular correspondent's remedy is a special war tax on all incomes, and his proposal will appeal to many as being, perhaps, the most equitable it is possible to evolve. It has received practical acknowledgement from both the comparatively rich, and the comparatively poor, even in this district, for we find among sheepfarmcrs, Mr. Studholme, of Ruanui, contributing his twenty pounds a month, and others, including workmen and station hands, are giving fixed sums regularly, all confirming the principle that each

should contribute according to income. Unfortunately, the voluntary practice of raising money is not responded to by many l —very many—rich men to anything like the extent the importance of the object deserves, and to (make such men do their duty it is probable a tax will be found necessary; in fact, it is an open secret that the Government has a measure already for submission to Parliament dealing with this aspect of the question. The generously disposed have given splendidly, and now it is time the Government the mischief that is likely to fresult from a continuance of street i cadging, which is menacing the existence of worthy tradesmen and their employees who, themselves, have contributed freely to the voluntary systm of providing war funds. It is well-known in this town that some business and professional men who are giving fixed sums to patriotic funds have proposed increasing their donations, but 'are only holding off till the Government proposals are made known.