MONEY RATHER THAN MEN.

Taihape Daily Times, 4 April 1918, Page 4

MONEY RATHER THAN MEN.

The British Prime Minister's message to New Zealand in connection with, the need for more men, has caused many people to think that Britain is short of troops in France and consequently that men are wanted to go at once to the front. We pointed out in Wednesday's issue that was not the case. We stated that in a prolonged offensive on such a colossal battle scale as that now being experienced British reserves would be used up as required, and that the men asked for by Mr. Lloyd George were needed to replace such reserves. There does not appear

to be the slightest cause for alarm about British man-power, but (there certainly is cause for some alarm about New Zealand furnishing the money to equip and keep the men that have been sent from this. Dominion in the best fighting condition. We cannot deceive ourselves into believing that men who have gone to the front and their relatives will tolerate the behaviour of wealthy people in sacrificing human life while, in their insensate greed, they refuse to relinquish their clutch on the huge profits th<?y have accumulated as a result of ' the war. We live in a democratic country;' every adult man and woman ; has but one vote in electing the government. How will the masses of the people view the men who have been very willing to conscript the country's 'best life blood, and yet have refused to contribute a shilling towards arming them and clothing them to make I them effective fighters? When these ! men, who the law threatens with coni scription of money, have enthused, ! thrown up their hats and yelled themselves hoarse, and have amply refreshed themselves over their patriotic achievements, they think they have contributed to winning the war , to an extent they would never have ; anticipated, and we see them with inflated chests, and smug smiles of satisfaction taking a place at public patriotic functions, the spurious with the real article. They are not deceiving the people of this country, however, and when the proper time comes and the war is over they will find a government in power whitah they by their greed and cruelty have materially assisted in evolving, that will relegate them to the position in the social fabric they should never have moved from. A poetic justice awaits .the men who callously look on at New Zealand's life blood dripping away from German bayonets while refusing to even lend some of their ill-gotten wealth towards saving the country's fast disappearing sons. Getting on for two thousands have already given their very lives, and their bodies lay in strange lands, yet there are those amongst us who- will not lend their wealth at a high rate of interest to save the lives of others. No people on earth will long submit, to conditions which permit such amazingly cold-blooded: greed, least of all .. the people of a democratic country such as New Zealand will be. Of course money for continuing the war must be forthcoming; the people must provide it; there is no way of side-tracki'ng responsibilities in this connection. Will the Government in its fearsome, delicate handling ,of callous greed permit its votaries to bring shame upon the nation? Why complain about anarchy and an archists while the most prolific creators of anarchy are occupying the highest social positions in the land? When men refuse to give their labour because of some'real or fancied grievance they are prosecuted and hounded down as anarchists and pro-Germans. What about the rich, revelling in luxury, who impede and hamper prosecution of the Empire's efforts to maintain a right, to freedom against Germany? No, the people of New Zealand cannot and will not submit to •being cajoled and hoodwinked by any such speciousness. If men are compelled to give their labour, and thousands to give their lives, what is wrong in the contention that rich men should, at least, be compelled to lend theit money. It is the poor people and the middle classes who are nobly and patriotically rushing to the appeals of the Minister of Finance, but some of the indecently rich stand rubbing their hands thinking of the fools, making themselves poor, who will have to sell their labour at any price by and by to enable them to acquire the necessities i of life. There will come a rude awakening.