The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 1917. A TAIHAPE EFFICIENCY TRUST.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 23 March 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 1917. A TAIHAPE EFFICIENCY TRUST.

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

An Efficiency Board Trust is wanted in Taihape, that is, the people of the district asked to select three reliable men from amongst them to constitute a board of trustees, whose chief duty it will be to take charge of rarms and businesses left behind by men who are going to the front. It has been recognised that some of our soldiers are leaving behind, in New Zealand, what represents the results of a Ine of hard work and prudent saving. Ihese men have to go, and it frequently happens that they suffer a

monetary loss quits cut of proportion to what men, who are ineligible as soldiers, have to pay in the shape of war profits. Hitherto men have had to sell cut at the best figure offering, or they have entrusted their all to someone as caretaker till they return, hhe latter course is as likely to be as unsatisfaitory as compulsory selling, therefore the Efficiency Board is appointing a board of trustees in each centre of population, Avhose first duty it shall be to manage the farms and businesses that men going to the front leave in their care, rather than that drey should sell at a loss, or dispose

of what would break the trend of their life’s work, leaving them with their

old-time occupation, and the scene of thoir former industry no longer theirs to occupy, strangers in the haunts of their old industrial effort and pride. There is a sentimental as well as an intrinsic and marketable value attached by many people to their homes and businesses, therefore it is incumbent upon the State to do all that it is possible to do to conserve that sentimental value as well as the commercial value to the owners on their return, that which they have spent their 'life’s work upon. The Board to be appointed in Taihape will look after the properties of such men, see that they are efficiently worked and properly managed in the best interests of the soldier-owner, in short, secure the ut-

most efficiency of conduct. The Mayor of Taihape, Mr. A. L. Arrowsmith, has received a communication from the Efficiency Board Commissioner, Mr. T. Moss, asking him to call a meeting of farmers and business men at an early date, to nominate two thoroughly capable business men and one farmer, who would constitute the Taihape Board of Trustees. This meeting is to be held at halfpast eleven next Wednesday forenoon, in the Town Hall, so as to get as big an attendance as possible of the farming community. To look after what men who go to fight leave behind is a sacred duty, one no humane, honest person can shirk, or would even desire to shirk. The man who would shirk such a duty would be ten thousand times worse than the man who hesitates to go and leave his all behind him .We do not presume for a moment that anyone in this district would refuse to act on such a board of trustees if selected so to do by a meeting of his fellows. We hope, and expect, that the meeting next Wednesday morning will be a gratifying reflex of this district’s obligations to the men who are leaving their life’s work and going, if necessary, to lay down their lives, so that

we and the rest of the Empire may be. free from the blood lust of the German would-be invaders. It would be as well for leading settlers and business men to commence at once to cast about for the most capable and eligible men for such responsibilitjo We cannot all fight, but let us move heaven and earth to see that our fighters are not compelled to for ever sever themselves from their life’s work and object. These men are fighting for the State and it is certainly the State’s first duty to see that their property is not wasted while they are away, and it is equally the duty of the men who' are left at home to assist the State to the utmost in their power in this connection.