The Daily News. SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 1915. WHAT WE ARE DOING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 241, 20 March 1915, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 1915. WHAT WE ARE DOING.

The first idea of what the war is directly costing New Zealand was given by the Prime Minister on Thursday, when lie stated the expenditure to be £300,000 a week, or £3,000,000 a year, and likely to increase. The extent of the expenditure will surprise most people, but compared with what the rest of the Empire is doing, and particularly the Motherland herself, it is not out of the way. The Old Country's burden is per head of population almost three times as great as ours, and is an ever-inereas-ing quantity. Mr. Massey was right when he said we were not doing enough and that " we have to see it through and do everything we possibly can, whether the Imperial authorities ask it or not, to ensure an honourable peace." The war is just as much ours as the Old Country's, and we should be prepared to make equal sacrifices and equal eflorts to ensure success for our cause. When it comes to a matter of life and death, the cost has not to be considered. Whatever it is, we hare to face it. That the country will do cheerfully. In point, of fact, we are singularly well off, and can bear the cost more easily than most of the other colonies. We are a food-producing country, and prices for all our staples are abnormally high, and are likely to remain so for some time. Why, the increased revenue we have received as a (Rrect consequence of the .war during the past four months must amount to nearly three and a half millions, a sum equalling our war expenditure for the year. Of course, tlie Consolidated Fund will be called upon to bear but a small proportion of this expenditure. which will come out of loan, and its repayment spread over a number of years. But it is a burden we should not pass on to posterity: we should i>ay our full share. To this end, the imposition of a special war tax will be necessary, as the Government at last recognises. It has proposals which are to be placed before Parliament, but vhat is their nature has not transpired. It will, however, need'to be equitable in its incidence, and not press unduly 011 the wages man, who is feeling the pinch, owing to the higher prices ruling for all foodstuffs, etc., very acutely already. We have always maintained that New Zealand is not doing enough to help the Motherland, and it is gratifying to notice that the head of the Government recognises the fact. " Personally," he stated in Wellington, "I would like to do more, and if the Imperial authorities would indicate some direction in which we can do more I am quite sure the people of New Zealand would be glad to accede To tlie request." But this is hardly the line to take. We should not wait for directions. We have not done so in our past relations -with the Imperial Government. We have boldly declared our intenti»n to help, and helped. We can best help the Knipirc now by sending to Europe every man we can secure, every horse, and every ounce of food we can spare. That is the help the Motherland needs most. It is the help we can and ought to give in greater measure than we have been giving up to now. To bring the war ,to a« parly conclusion men ;ind munition-; are wanted: nothiii!: else will tell so forcibly against an enemy that recognises tlie law of neither God nor man, hut only the law i' r brute force.