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Press, Volume LI, Issue 15395, 28 September 1915, Page 6

An interesting question was raised at the meeting of the Farmers' Co-opera-tive Association on Saturday, when Mr J. S. Barrett moved that the sum of £10,000 bo allotted l>y the directors to tho various patriotic and war funds. The motion was negatived, and quite rightly fio.'ivc think. The meeting was not sufficiently representative to vote such a largo sum for any object without notice to tho shareholders. There still remains, however, the "general riucstion of principle as to what is the duty of directors of joint stock companies in regard to tho various patriotic funds in connexion with the war. There has been a good deal of common t lately as to tho alleged "niggardly" conduct of tho banks and other wealthy joint stock concerns in regard to the extent of their donations. Directors of such concerns, however, have always to bear in mind that it is not their own money, but the money of the shareholders with which they have to deal. It is very possible that if they wero to vote, away largo sums for purposes not contemplated in the articles of association, they might lay themselves open to legal proceedings. Shareholders naturally prefer that if their money is to bo given to any public object, no matter how doserving, they should it themselves, instead of having it dono on their behalf by a board of directors. There is also the possibility that individually they have already given as much as they can afford.

After weighing all these considerations the directors of somo companies have decided that in such an exceptional crisis as the present the companies they represent ought to contribute to the various funds so much in need of assistance.. And we have not heard of a single instance in which tho shareholders have objected to this course. The Farmers' Co-operative As sociation has had an exceptionally good year, and tho farming community has on tho whole benefited owing to the war. It is very possible, therefore, that tho ehareholders might wish tho directors to do more than they have already done in the direction of support to the funds referred to. We venture to suggest that the matter should be brought up again at a spccial meeting, of which due notice should be given, and that, if necessary. a poll of the shareholders should be taken. If that were done, and »t was decided to make a further handsome contribution, the Association would have the honour of setting a fine example to other joint stock concerns, and so lead to further substantial help to the various funds, which deserve all the support that can be given to them.

There is obviously much room for Argument as to the soundness of tho City Council's decision that it is inadvisable to celebrate Trafalgar Day during tho war. The day was celebrated in London last year; Sir John Jellicoo sent a wreath; and tho crowd who visited the Nelson Monument was, according to "The Times," vastly greater than in other years. Nobody, so far as we know, saw in the celebration anything likely to give offence to our French friends. The celebration of tho anniversary of that great battle has had for its motives only admiration for the heroes of tho fight, and a desire to mark tho dependence of Britain upe'j tho strength of her Navy. Frenchmen have not found our Nelson worship objectionable, and some of tho finest tributes to the British Navy and its work

hare come during this war from French lips and French pens. At tho same time, it is not a bad thing to avoid everything which might appear, however faintly, to be out of tuno with the perfect harmony between the French and British peoples. Irf any event, we think that the celebrations customary in normal ought to be dispensed with while such serious business is on hand far tho world, and if we had to give a vote we should give it in favour of the City Council's decision.

There was some comment yesterday, amongst those who are interested in recruiting, upon the fact that the Dofence Department's Office was closed for the day. No doubt the local Defence Officc had no option in the matter, but had to carry out the instructions from Wellington to observe Dominion Day as a holiday. This is not a time when the Department should be taking holidays. There are no holidays in Flanders ° r Gallipoli.

Tho Board of Governors of Cantorbury College are to be congratulated upon their decision to grant certain educational privileges to scholars whose fathers or brothers are killed or totally disabled in tho war. Any such child who qualifies for a free place will receive ;i grant of £'3 a year durin;: the tenure of that free place at either iho Boys' High School or the (Jiris' High School. Children who are not technically qualified for free places, Imt who can attain to the proficiency standard, are to be granted free tuition, and to receive the money grant on subsequent qualification. There are other concessions, also, which will lie found set out in another column. These new regulations are conceived in the right spirit, and they might well be copied by the other bodies controlling secondary schools throughout the Dominion.

Tho House will make a beginning to-day, it is understood, with the consideration of the Government's taxation proposals. .Sir Joseph Ward appeared to suggest in his speech that if tho Government's proposals are interfered with tho Government will resign. He said :

"Do honourable members imagine that a Government can preserve its self-respect and continue to remain in office when proposals in its Budget aro rejected at the "will of n majority of members? . . . No self-respecting .Government could occupy a position of that sort simply because it was a National Government.''

The fact that there is no alternative to thp present Government ought to appear to the Government to bo .•> strong argument for conciliation and accommodation, and not a mere weapon with which to threaten the House into acquiescence in anything put before it.. We much hopo that the Government will not take the high-nnd-mighty line hinted at.

In tho meantime we must renew our complaint that the Government's proposals for raising new revenue are lacking in courage and in justice. We have shown in earlier articles that whereas in Great Britain heavy increases in tho taxes on tea, sugar, and other articles in'common uso have gone hand in hand with a heavy impost on incomes down to £130, the New Zealand Budget practically leaves untouched tho people whose iucomcs arc less than £3CO. Tho person whose income is £300 pays in New Zealand no incoino tax; in England he is to pay nearly .019. ' In some quarters it appears to be imagined that the people in New Zealand whose incomes are less than £300 should be let off becauso they pay much more through tho Customs than English people. This is an entire delusion. In New £baland, the Customs and Excise revenue amounts to about £3 a head. In Britain, beforo the war. it amounted to nearly* £2 a head. The British receipts from Customs and Excise before the wur amounted to £75,000,000. Tho new taxes last November were estimated to yield £20,000,000 more. Mr McKenna stated last weeji that the further, burdens now imposed would amount to £25,000,000. Therefore the Customs and Excise duties in Britain will bo at the rate of £120,000,000 per annual, or very nearly £3, which is the New Zealand level. No defence, there*fore, can be found in the indirect taxation in Britain for tho glaring disparity between tho inoomc taxes in the two countries.

One result of the recent fatal fire in Feudal ton - has been tho arousing of tho Fendalton residents to a realisation of the necessity for providing tho district with some* adequate system of firo protection. At a meeting of residents last night it was made clear that there is r.o inclination to join Greater Christchurch, and up to a certain point the right of the residents to decide L'nat question is undoubted. No definite plan appears to have been agreed upon by the meeting, but a committee has been set up to make a report, and in the meantime the first stops have been taken to form a Volunteer Firo police Corps. We are very glad to tee that the matter has been taken in iiand in earnest, for it is a grave reproach to the thickly-populated suburb fliat it is still, without the mear.s of protecting life and property againAt destruction by lire.