THE WAR FUND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 80, 26 August 1914, Page 7

THE WAR FUND.

COXFEIt ENCE OK DAIRY FACTORY llti'lU-ISFXTATIVES. A large number <ii representatives from tilt 1 daily l.ictory companies throughout, 1 !di'L in iluwera on Saturday aH-crnonn to consider pro - i(,r i.i.:i;,,iig :i 'i] H:Lt.i.! contributions towards the lui i. i.t»t it-, fund. i,r. A. Morion. of .uangorei, and chairman ( J tin- National Dairy Association, was vo ted 4o the cliuir, and read the circular convening tiie meeting. Ho mentioned the seriouw problems with which the British Empire was to-day faced, and how important it was that New Zealand's produce should reach England in j'a satisfactory condition. To ensure that object the British Empire afforded the protection of her navy to the boats carrying that produce. The maintenance of her army and navy entailed a very heavy cost, aid in a crisis like the present it devolved upon New Zealand, in common with other parU of the Empire, to do their best to assist the |'Mother Country. They, as producers, were vitally interested, and by reason of tile fact that the British Empire had practically assured the safe landing of .their produce at Home their price.? would probably be as good as last year. In view of this it wag worthy of their consideration whether the} - should not make some practical contributions to heip the British Empire to subdue or reduce the power of a nation which, at the present time, wag endeavouring to dominate the European Continent. So far some dairy factories had met and decided to make contributions, but tlie object of the present meeting was to endeavour to arrive at some uniform basis applicable to all factories. As to the actual amount of contributions, that could only 'be decided by the shareholders of the various companies, but he felt sure the whole community would respond to the appeal, feeling strongly thflit they were prepared, to bear duty. The Government of New Zealand had undertaken to fit out) despatch and maintain a large expeditionary force to assist the Mother Country and the transport and 'maintenance of that force would be considerable. Although large sums had teen received from voluntary contributions, this should be further augmented by such sums as the dairy 'factories felt it in their power to pay. 'Dairy producers would benefit largely 1 during this war, because, probably, their j prices would be maintained at a fairly [»trong figure. The producing areas of the world were practically confined to Canada and New Zealand for cheese, and so "far as butter was concerned, Siberia would probably hstvie a very materially I lessened output, and in any case would experience great difficulty in getting supplies to Great Britain- But alj though they felt here that prices would be high there wag a strong desire that the British public should not be exploited. AU that the New Zealand producers wanted was a fair price and they 'were equally anxious to see that the 'consumers in England liad to pay only a fair price. Mr Forsyth said they nil recognised 'that the present was the greatest war in the history of the world, and no one 'was able to say whether it would last j only a couple of months or a couple of years. If it went against Britain, V, would spell ruination: their very existence was dependent upon the is'sue. The tafesit insurance they could undertake, therefore, was to make con - trioutione to the Mother Country. The Imperial Government had very greatly assisted producers this end by taking over Lloyds' and thereby saving them fiom 5 per cent to 10 per cent, in insurance risks. The very fact of them 'doing this and keeping the trade routes open luwl resulted in the dairy produce buyers here as usual with letters oi credit for them to operate upon. At a large meeting of shareholders of hi*, company a resolution was carried authorising ithe directors to contribute to this luud on an equal bask with th.* 'other Taranaki dairy co-upniiies, and had also donated two tons of cheese tj tie Expeditionary Force equipment. Mr Walter l'owdrell said lie thought suggestion emanated from the Bacon 'Company, which represented most of the <lairv factories in South Taranaki. The British Government, requiring New 'Zealand's produce, took the matter up and decided that the maximum insurance rate would be 5 per cent.- probably it will be from 2 to s—dependents—dependent on tv; risks which shipping had to run. Th;.,i act on the part of the. British Govc.tinent was in itself of immense importance to 'the dairy factories, who would not l>e giving much away in return in setting aside the half per cent, suggested. Some people held that the leaseholders should not be called upon to pay as much as the freeholder, but the matter of the, protection of their produce—cheese, grain, wool. etc.—from this country affected the leaseholder as much as the freeholder. He reminded them that Canada donated four million pounds of cheese and a million sacks of flour to the Motherland, and if the New Zealand factories gave a few hundred pounds a year each, it would lie but a small contribution compared with Canada. The method suggeste I was a fair basis of contribution as they found that 'if tliey Tvent round with sub-criptionlists it frequently happened that the mian worth £30,000 or £40,000 put. his name down for half a crown, whilst the man with only a thousand or two would put down I'M) or £4l). Possibly a war rate on incomes firstly and property secondly, would he the fairer ba-is and 1 may eventually he put into operation. Mr Dingle asked if the as: cssmcut would be on this year's output or on j last year's.

The cJLiiinnan: On tliir- veal'-. Mr Dingle: Has the committec any Wca liow much it will produce? The chairman; A faotoiy producing &K),0(KI of choose would contribute £2OO. Jtiverdale, for example, would pny £i>o to £300; Kaupekonui. from £7OO to £7«). If the whole of the faclories of the Dominion contributed on 'this basis it would realise aibout, £17,50 ft. Mr l'owdrell sai<l it worked out at i'abont £2 IDs to £•'! per supplier on the \ average. Mr Dingle thought \' t p''' cent, very little, and questioned if it was snilirieni. Mr Peterson. Midhir.vt. thought i'ewould not work out satisfactorily. and instanced two men mi'.Uing fifty cows each. The one may be a freeholder, and the other a leasehold"" who bas invested perhaps the whole of his £:WMI or £4(10 to get a start with. He woald have to pay exactly the same fts the wealthier man. lie thought a war tax would be more equitable, and would all'ect. every mail according to hi' wealth. The small fann."r would contribute his fair share every time, lni 1 what of the wealthy men? lie had not seen many of their names down so far. 11l reply, Mr Forsyth said he could not e\:uitiy follow the last speaker, bu! he again explained that this contribution buisl bi' regarded as an insurance. As Mr I'owdreil explained. the Imperial ( on ■ ■ .'mii('iii i:;ul rcduv-od the iu-iinar.v. and ii. was ii ;> t () the dairy co'np ini"t.o help thi>se who helped iliem. The 'leaseholder fwa.s going to lieivlLL, i' ! ~H He' same as i !e* freeholder, anil this propose I've was only one-tenth of the henelit received by reason <>f the Imperial (iovevmmmt's action in sivne' them probihlv £(i in th<; £IOO, and all they proposed to hand tack was 10s in 'the £IOO. t'ould anyone cavill at that,': 34r (:ihl>-s. Alton, did not approve >A

the suggestion, 'i here were two methods of raising funds—the one by voluntary contriku-'.i'i'w and the other by a war rate. I'm present proposal was neither voluntary nor compulsory, and vould lie tuii'air to some pet/pie. Even should the. jut-- > nig that day decide tha l 'a levy should U made, there was no guarantee .mat very company would agree to pay u. »Ue did not, think tinet Ills company, for instance, would agree, and he thought ii only right to voice his objection. The Chairman, in reply, admitted that the present conference!could di> nothing of a eompulson nature. They could only make recommendations, which would lie put before the shareholders o5 the various dairy companies. If th;' shareholders endorsed them ithe levy could then be legally made. As to the proposed contributions not being "equitable, there was this point of view to be considered: a certain value had been put upon their produce by reason of ithe action of the British Government, who, if they had not taken the action they did—lie did not say in New Zealand's interests only, hut in the interests of the Empire as a whole —their produce would not have been worth the average of last year. This enhanced' value would ilie a long way more than pay the levy they now suggested from dairy companies. As to a war itax, that was absolutely beyond their Control; they must leave that to the Government. Their present concern was to suggest Rome means whereby the dairy companies might contribute something to assist the Empire in its hour of need. Mr l'owdrell reminded the meeting, that the companies would probably not have (been ahle to draw anything against their cheese this season but for the action of the Imperial Government. Mr Batten would like to have seen the levy 1 per cent, instead of % ])«'-' cent. \ Finally Mr Forsythy moved: ''That ■this meeting recommends to the various dairy companies to make a monthly contribution to the Empire Defence Fund on the basis of one-half per cent? on ithe dairy produce shipped so long as> the war continues, such contribution to be on the basis of one shilling per lb. for ' butter and sixpence per lb. for cheese." Mr Powdrell seconded. Mr Corrigan thought that if the proposal were given effect to the funds should be retained in Taranaki for tho benefit of widows and orphans. Mr Powdrell: Is not something like presenting a fellow with a new overcoat and then taking the linst went' out of it? Mr Corrigan argued that the patri--1 otic feeling was running high now, but after the war was over the widows and orohans and the fellow who came back with his leg or an arm off were apt to be forgotten and uncared for. Mr Powdrell would he sorry to set aside the money for a relief fund here. We in New Zealand were in the safest spot in the world, and the distress would be at the other end. He would like to see the funds handed over to the Government unreservedly for them to make the best use of. If there was any distress here the oeopie of New Zealand would look to that, lie would just like to mention, in conclusion, that the Cardiff Factory directors recommended to their director-; that one day's supply a month should tie set aside for the Pat'Vtie Fund. This represented one-' ii '.; th. Ail the present meeting p ■■.-id to recommend was one-two-he:. .redth part. The resolution, on being put to the meeting, w.'.s carried with only two dissentients. Mr Powdrell then moved that in view of what the Imperial Government hail done in the way of reducing the insurance rates, all the dairy companies ill New Zealand be asked to ■'ft aside, per medium of the' National Dairy Association, onieha'lf per cent, per month of the value of their dairy produce during 'the- war. Seconded by Mr'limine and carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to the chair terminated the irbceting.—Hawor.i Star.