WHAT IS OUR DUTY?

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 21 August 1917, Page 4

WHAT IS OUR DUTY?

While our gallant lads are smashing the Germans in Flanders, lot us take stock of what we are doing here in Now Zealand. While mothers are being jmai.de "(childless and wives ' aTC made widows, what are we, who have no sons or husbands to send to fight doing? We have plenty of money in the country, and money is more urgently needed 'than men just now. Having no sons, husbands or brothers to send to fight, we take stock of our position, we realise that a sense of duty is positively hammering at us in connection with those thousands of pounds we have stored away, either at interest, in land or in the bank. We hear the cry of the widow and mother, we read the list of killed and wounded day by day, let us ask ourselves whether we have purchased our War Loan Certificate; have w e applied for the Post Office War Bonds we can well afford to take up; have we put our excess war profits to work in helping to smash the Germans, assisting the gallant boys from our land who ar e doing it with their strength and lives? The honour of New Zealan/I /is Jhe tjalk of \ 'the world, an honour gained by the brave men at the front, now will the honour of New Zealand be upheld by the moneyed classes? Will it be as bright as that resulting from the bravery of her soldiers? We truly believe it will. Our settlers must realise that they will have to do their duty; it would be ridiculous to assume that any man should think he had done his duty .sfolbly by shouting ;a few Iwordjs, meaningless unless backed with something more tangible and convincing. Our Minister of Finance has impressed upon us time and again that men and money are wanted and must be had. He says New Zealand has the men who have proved themselves equal to the world's best and bravest soldiers. He also impresses upon us that New Zealsnders have the money, without it we cannot provide for the men. Both are needed to win the war, but, "you must," he says, "put your money into action, and each help according to his means." The time is short; on Monday, 3rd September, twelve millions of money are very urgently needed; it is something that cannot be done without. Have those who have the money and are not accepting the 41 per cent, free of income tax, stopped to think how these twelve millions are to be got if they do not come by voluntary investment? Let us repeat again, "the twelve millions of money must be forthcoming." If they are not voluntarily subscribed to the War Loan, Post Office Bonds, or the Liberty Loan, where are they coming from? We know where they are coming from, but we do not know the process of abstraction, and we sincerely hope for the honour of this district and for the truly glorious, good name this country now has, the money will come to the earnest appeal made by our Government, and particularly by the appeal made by the Minister of Finance. Political factions must be dead while the Empire is at war; politics have already caused nearly as much loss of life as the Germans; we have good cause to curse politics. Let us cast politics to the winds or to Hades, at least, while the war needs winning. | We have sent the men, now the money is wanted to win a lasting victory. Yv 7 hen that is accomplished, politicians may revel in tiieir politics for all we care. Subscriptions to the War Loan close on Monday, 3rd September.