THE WAR LOAN.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1917, Page 7

THE WAR LOAN.

AN APPEAL FOR ORGANISED EFFORT. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, "August 22. Satisfactory reports .continue to come in with reference to the public attitude towards the war loan. The press everywhere has risen to the occasion and is giving hearty support to the main is#ue that the money must be raised. It is known that many large subscriptions will come in as the loan is closing. The present position of t.he smaller subscriptions, so far reported to Wellington, indicates the total of £IOO,000. The committee of the Waikato Winter Show Association has decided to take up -200 £1 war loan certificates, and thcjse /'ill be disposed of in prizes nt the next show to be held at "Hamilton. This is a lead to other associations, and shows in what varied ways assistance may be given to the war loan. ■At one of the counters in a large city to-day, an applicant for certificates to the amount of £i apologetically expressed his regret that the sum was so small. He had r.o r.eed to do so. It i 3 probable that his £4 represented more to him than £IOO or £IOOO of his more prosperous neighbor. He was like, the (widow of the Scriptures, putting into the Treasury the whole of his spare cash, and no more could be expected of him. If everyone in New Zealand would help the loan in this spirit it would be threefold over subscribed.

It has been decided that, for the purposes of death ,duty, £1,000,000 which ,_has been set aside must be applied for in the name of the person from whose pstate the duty will be payable. With reference to the 5 per'cent".'jPost Office war bonds, in order to keep them strictly to the class of people for whom they are intended, it has been decided that interest will only be payable in Nev.- Zealand.

The following is the text of a-letter which lias been sent by Sir Joseph Ward to the chairman of every local body in New Zealand:—,

Dear Sir,— .Never in the history of our race has an issue fraught with such farreaching and grave consequences been before the natluo. All enemy, who wciild forever crush the freedom we prize go dearly, is at the zenith of his power. By a supreme■ effort, we can 'hasten the inevitable setting of that enemy's sun, but, to accomplish this, combined, continuous and prompt action is absolutely essential. To one in your position it is not necessary for me to explain that the war loan 'provides one of those elements towards sue--cess which cannot possibly be omitted. I feel therefore safe in ask-' :ng your active co-operation in,', making it a success. What is re-' quired is not only meetings of citizens, but the formation of active committees to whom will .be assignspecified districts in which to oJh' tain definite promises of help towards the loan. Will you help theutate to make this loan even ar greater success than the last? Th e ! need is great, the time is short, but I rely absolutely upon the peopie of all classes to subscribe ac-. cording to their means, and upon* you to see that local and concentration of effort are ade-,' quaie to the requirements of so' great an occasion. Tn the certain, knowledge that you will not fail. ' Yours sincerely, J. G. WARD. Minister of Finance.