DOMINION AND THE WAP

Taranaki Daily News, 22 November 1917, Page 5

DOMINION AND THE WAP

MEETING THE EXPENDITURE. NEED FOR PRODUCTION. Reference to the urgent necessity for the Dominion to maintain its production to meet war expenditure and to keep up the supply of reinforcements was made by the Prime Minister in the course of a speech at the opening of tiro Watkatb Dairy Company's now butter factory at Tuakau. "We are proud to think that New Zealand is taking such a prominent part in the war," said Mr. Massey, "but if we are to continue to do our full share it, is absolutely necessary that production should be maintained. I know it is a difticult proposition with such a large i number of the young men of the country away fighting, but t believe a great deal more can and should be done than has been done up to the present. There is 'no room in this country for idlers, and there can be none in the future. It has been said that too many men ho-ve been sent away to the war. I ask you to recall the conditions which existed in th.it country three years ago and to recollect that the demand of the people was that more men and still more men should Ik sent. Tha men, to their everlasting honor be it said, were only too anxiout • to go (applause), and when the New Zea land Government could not take their all, many hundreds went over to Aug- , tralia and are now serving in tho Au* ' tralian Forces at the front. When it England 1 took steps to ascertain ltow many New Zealanders are serving with 1 the Imperial Forces, and I was told that they numbered well over 1000. (Applause.) Unable to get to the front : quickly enough they had gone Home to enlist. So far as this war is concerned, we are determined that right up to the bitter end we are going to do our full share whatever the cost may be. (Applause.) We do not want, however, io send one more man than is necessary keep our forces properly reinforced. Oijr first duty is to keep up the supply df men, and our second is to maintain production. The world has never seen anything nobler or grander than the way tlje parent* of this country and other parts of the Empire have sent their boys to fight for King and country, for the Enlpire and civilisation. (Applause.) "The time is coming," continued Mr. Massey, "when we shall have to organise more thoroughly to keep the, .country going. Last November I was in France, and I could not help being struck with the fact that a great harvest, sufficient to foed the whole French population, was gathered in by women, old lheh, and boys under 17. It will not come to that in New Zealand, but something approaching it may come to pass later on in New Zealand if the war continues. In Britain a vast army of women of New Zealand munition work and on the farms, and I am sure if the women of New Zealand are culled upon to take the place of the men at the front they will respond to tha , call as willingly as their Bisters across the sea. (Applause.) In maintaining our production we have to think what , the position will be when the war ends. ' There will be an erormoua debt to pay L off and interest and pensions to provide for, and if we are going to get through without serious financial depression the ' resources of the country will have to be developed to the utmost. Uncultivated ' land* will have to be made productive, ' and tilled lands must be made to produce > more. Should any of our British kins--1 men desire to come out to the Dominion to assist us they will bo given facilities to do so. Every effort will be made to keep thorn within tho Empire should they dosirc to emigrate. We now require thirty million pounds' worth of exports to enable us to do our duty in this war. For the first six months we have got 18 millions, and we are looking fori ward with confidence to getting the 12 . millions required during the next six months."