The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1916. THE WAR LOAN.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 16 August 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1916. THE WAR LOAN.

(With, which is incorporated The Tai hape Post and Waimarino News.)

A speech by Mr-Hughes, the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth, at a public reception given to him on his return from his historic visit to the Home Country, has great significance for the whole Empire, more especially for us in New Zealand, where people have been asked to contribute to an Eight Million War Loan. Mr Hughes particularly stressed two points, "The absolute need for men, and the pi'essing need for money, if we are to be victorious." In his supportingi remarks i he said Germany had not passed the zenith of -her power to fight. The Allies would be victorious in the end, as Germany was being drained of the silver bullet as well as of her manpower,, and so were'we. The only road to victory lay through all the men and all the needful money that we could give being put into the figiht at once to enable our greater strength to quickly overpower the enemy, and bring the war to an end, and before all sections of the community were drained of money as well as of fighting forces. He said Australia would do her duty whether it pleased or displeased any section of her people, and we in New Zealand may rest assured that we shall have to do our duty whether it pleases or displeases us. It is just as well tha* we should not continue to deceive ourselves; in reaching our present strength in men and money, compulsory enhst ment and war taxation, has had to be enacted. A much .heavier tax is borne in England than in the Dominions, but the war is as much ours as Englands, and if by parsimony indifference, and trust in others to see us through we refrain from helping at this time, and allow both Germany and ourselves to be bled to death by a dragging on for another year or two, there will not be enough money left uncoin mandeered to enable the British Empire to take its place, among the leading nations of the world. This is a possible position; Mr Hughes gives it some degree of probability; therefore, as men, meat, wheat, cheese, metals, and practically everything but money has been commandeered, when the pinch conies money will have to be commandeered also. It will noi. be called up so much per man, rich or poor, but wherever it is found, whether in large or small hordes, the State will take it. All money belongs to the State, and if the State's preservation is ondan gered for want of money, every shekel;

will be forced into its service. Mr. Hu'gihe s says we nave it in our power to end the war quickly by pouring in our men and our money at the critical, opportune, auspicious moment, that is now. Both factors in winning have infinitely more virtue and power now than they can have in a long-drawn stalemate. Money must be found as well as men; voluntary enlistment did not bring sufficient, but there are supreme reasons why any compulsion should not be exerted to bring in suffic ient money.

The prospectus of the £8,000,000 War Loan is about the most tempting that has ever been offered to an investing British public. To large investors it is particularly attractive, because in addition to earning 4£ per cent., investments are entirely free from income tax.. It has been the dream of many a Britisher to be able to invest hi s savings in his country's securities. Knowing this, the Minister of Finance has made it possible for almost everyone to gratify such desires. Men and women of limited means may pay sixteen shillings into any Post Office and receive a £1 certificate; for every sovereign invested the investor only pays in sixteen shillings. To men with money, the War Loan speaks very loudly for itself. The crisis has come in New Zealand's history when its people are to have self-reliance thrust upon them. This country ha s arrived at a young, vigorous manhood period; the parent nation has intimated that the financial feedings bottle is no longer necessary, desirable, or available; we have to shoulder the responsibilities of National manhood and work out our self-preservation and destiny with only parental example and ad vice. In this war, up to the present, our people have disclosed a virility and determination that has been the surprise of the world. Now we are as Iced to lend our money to the Government; we are assured that our money, or some of it, is urgently needed to continue the fight and bring it quickly to a victorious end. What impression are we going, to create on the world? We have astonished mankind with our con tributions of men, shall we equally sur prise them with our willingness to lend our money. Men running into the thousands will never return to us; the money we lend will come, back to us with a liberal .payment for it s use. We who cannot fight have been. enthusiastic in sending away our men, and now that our opportunity to do something has come, are we going to be less enthusiastic in lending the money, and so save the ;live s we have sent away by bringing the" war to an early end? It is our sacred duty, incumbent and pressing) upon everyone who has money to answer the.call of our country and our Empire; that voice from the trenches ih France, the; scorching sand s of Egypt, and the-malarial marshes of Mesopotamia, calling- for the wherewithal" that" will' enable them to settle definitely with a brutal, barbarous enemy, who has lived to outgrow all the humane traits of a civilised people. An enemy that i s seeking to enslave us and subject us to all the unspeakable horrors for w r hich they have become worldwide, notorious. If we can do anything to end the B'ritish onslaught of Germany, is there a man or woman amongst us that will hesitate We believe that New Zealand will more than realise its duty to furnish the needful money, and that it will exhibit a self-reliance that will stay the practice of going cap in hand to the mother country whenever we are short. There is plenty of ready, idle cash, in this country, and we have faith enough in those who are its gi ardians that they will take the course that is in lh>;ir own oest interests from every point c: view, by .onding it at good interest and free of income tax to their Government on their country's security. If New Zealand is going to take the place it should occupy in the Empire and as a nation, the money required must be forthcoming, if not one way, then by another.

Les D'Arcy, the well known boxer, has enlisted in the Australian forces.