The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE MONDAY,, APRIL 8, 1918. “THE TIME IS NOW.”

Taihape Daily Times, 8 April 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

MONDAY,, APRIL 8, 1918. “THE TIME IS NOW.”

(With which is incorporated The Tai* hape Post and Waiisuxino News).

As the great struggle for freedom now Paging in Europe is fast ulpopulating our empire, and us the casualty lists appearing in Mew Zealand newspapers aro growing more extensive xrum day to uay are we not forcefully reminded of what those fallen heroes nave given that we may continue to enjoy British freedom and to maintain British justice, and does it not occur to us that we must, also give or do something if what these brave men have died tor is to be accomplished? Can we live on in all the luxury of prosperous times and see the death notices—“ Killed in , Action ’’ —of New Zealand’s finest' sons and gentlemen, who have been shot down by German guns or blown to shreds by German cannon and still not have the sense of our responsibility awakened in us? Has not the impatient imperative appeal for more men and more money irom the British Prime Minister aroused the whole country to a realisation, of what the ultimate of the terrible conflict may be if we pursue a course of callous indifference to such, calls? We have it telegraphed that our New Zealand Cabinet sat a whole day considering what the country would, do towards meeting the appeal xur more i men, but not a worn wm leiegrupned about what was being done towards getting r mox;e mon.^y s ;‘" Will the manapod of this country long permit its to' go 'cap in hand begging apd importuning men with money '"to lbnd : sufficient to carry on this country’s ‘Share in : the war, while lives are conscripted, taken 1 by force? ' It is a pitiable, humiliating plight to realise. Money is wanted, a mere fraction of what 1 wealthy men can well spare, spare without feeling the slightest inconvenience, and yet the Minister of Finance has, to mhke appeals which, in face of life, being taken by force with little discrimination, is degrading in the extreme. It,,should, prove a very stronglesson to the people that so long as they elect, men from the wealthy classes to make 'their laws, money will be given immeasurably greater consideration ~ in; the laws made than human life gets. It m.ay be urged that this is an unfair statement of . the position, but .is the case not already provexx in the all-day meeting of Cabinet to determine what portion and volume of second division men I —fathers and husbands —shall be made to go into camp? Place this Cabinet meeting to provide men alongside the appeal to men with money that Sir Joseph Ward finds it necessary to make, and who will doubt for a minute whether rich men are doing their duty like true patriots? There are rich men who wo regard as heroes equally with men who have fallen in the conflict, but the number who have invested largely in War Loans and have, besides, given, not lent at high interest, texxs of thousands of pounds to relieve pain, assuage sorrow and afford what comfort is possible in the trenches, aro few. With permissible pride we can say wc have such men in this Taihapc district, but wo have also to lamcxxt the fact that there are many who are looking on at the conscription of the country’s best manhood while keeping a tigln i clutch of the gold they have got by the j very war which is being fought for their j freedom. The men of this district are j no worse and no beter than rich m;en i in other parts of the Dominion; Sir ’ Joseph Ward’s importunings for money aro addressed to men from the North Cape to the Bluff, The last day for investment in the War Loan is drawing near and not a third of the nine and a half millions required is yet subscribed. What will the New Zealand Cabinet, after sitting all day to consider the calling up of men, do in connection with individuals who are aggregating land while War Loan appeals arc appearing and have not subscribed anything? It is said that every man knows his o-wn business, but it must be ad- I mittccl that a huge proportion allow I business to overshadow duty and obligation to the Empire that made their business posible and profitable. We are of opinion that such an institution as the Bank of New Zealand holds an honourable position with respect to War Loans, but where would that Bank and its business go to if it, with all other sources of accumulated wealth, refused to do its duty, and thereby left the country to Germany? We are fast approaching the time, it seems, when appeals for voluntary investxncnt will

Have to go the way of voluntary en-

listment. The War Loan issue is in

tho last week and six millions are yet wanted. Let us say'with Sir Joseph Ward, “ have wo invested every shilling we can scrape together? Has it occurred to us that we can help to end the war by borrowing on our life insurance policies, or by obtaining a loan from the bank? Our men arc giving their lives; wo are only asked to lend money/’ If we are going to subscribe, to help with our money, THE TIME IS NOWI