A BANK ACCUSED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 72, 14 August 1914, Page 5

A BANK ACCUSED.

V ' ALLEGED UNPATRIOTIC ACTION. Alleged refusal, on the part of one of the hanks doing business in New Zealand to allow any of its employee* to go with the Expeditionary Force waa the subject of a question in the Douse of Representatives' on Tuesday. The Hon! ]). Buddo asked the Prima .Minister whether top Government knew that one of .the banks doing business in New Zealand had refused leave of absence to members of their staff anxio-s ' to serve with the Expeditionary Forca, and, if so, whether the GovenmieuJ approved of such a restriction from .a legislatively protected institution such as the bank was. An lion, member: Which hank? Mr Buddo said he preferred not to mention the name of the aai,k. An hon. member: The Bank of NeT Zealand ? The .Hon. R. McKenzie 1 urged that' the name of the bank ought tc be disclosed. Mr Buddo said "that personally he had no objection'to giving the name of tli3 bank. The Hon. J. Allen said he did not think the name of the bank ought to be divulged. It would not bo fair. Tha matter was being enquired into, and it was quite possible that the bank concerned—and he knew which bank waa concerned—had a per'ectly good reaaoii to give. \ •Mr McKenzie said that it would ba a flagrantly disloyal and unpatriotic action for a bank to deny have to ittJ employees to go with the force if they wished. For his own part, be would be prepared to take his account from' a bank that did anything 'of th > sort. Mt Buick: 1 think it is right that the country should know the name ot the' bank. / Mt Frasor ani Mr \ Allen: No. The Prime Minister said that the matter referred to by Mr Buddo waa « being enquired into. He thought it was fair, however, to the Bai-.k of New I Zealand, the name of whicW had bean j mentioned, to say that the tank concerned was not the bank of New Zetland.