VICTORY LOAN

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24569, 18 May 1945, Page 4

VICTORY LOAN

PROVISIONAL TOTAL £11,300,670 INCOMPLETE RETURNS YESTERDAY (P.A.) WELLINGTON, May 17. The Reserve Bank .announced tonight that only partial returns had been received from the various war loan districts. Consequently complete figures for the 1945 Victory Loan were not available. According to the returns received, the total of the loan is now £11,300,670. WIDE SUPPORT ADVOCATED ' MR POLSON’S ADDRESS (P.A.) WELLINGTON. May VWide support for the 1945 Victory Loan was advocated by Mr W.J. Po son, M.P., Acting-Leader of the Opposition, in an address this evening. After saying that he had no J 16 ® 1 * 8 "9 in accepting the invitation of the Acting-Prime Minister (the Hon. W. Nash) to say a word or two on the subject, Mr Poison Presented three reasons why, in his opinion, the loan must be- fully subscribed. .... “First,” declared Mr Poison, ij would be very unWise for any djie ol us to jump to the conclusion 'that Decause Germany has been conquered our responsibility is over, °r thatwe should relax our efforts. . T “f ;i P e . r * sistent and fanatical Jap is still in possession of a great slice of Clpn and south-east Asia,, and we have a part to play in helping-the Allies in giving him a dose of the medicine which has just been applied to Germany. That may take .a considerable time vet to do, and meanwhile New Zealand cannot do other than support to the full the splendid forces of the air whose work in the Pacific. has been so outstanding and soglorious, and it is not yet finished. The abominable yellow enemy, whose atrocities have matched and excefled his Hun ally, has still to be destroyed, so that Ae foul deeds he has done to the sick and wounded prisoners of war may never be done again, so that murderand rapine, mutilation and torture, bestiality and filthiness, may be stamped out, and those who practised it become everlasting examples of the inexorable nemesis which pursues a nation so lost to honour and humanlty ‘ “A Lucky Country” New Zealand was a very lucky country, continued Mr Poison. While it had suffered heavily in military casualties, and mourned the loss of some of its best and bravest, it had escaped the destruction which had razed so many cities of the old world, and was free to organise its resources so that the men and women whose war services we had been so proud to acclaim would be able to resume life among us in the happy knowledge that a grateful country was fully conscious of its duty to them, and ready and glad to undertake it. ‘This Victory Loan,” continued Mr Poison, “is the xeal V-E Day memorial. The individual who. subscribes to it can do so with the satisfaction of knowing that the money is being used for the very practical purpose of a pregnant and paramount form of memorial —an animate and vital memorial. I would say that the plans for- the rehabilitation of our servicemen and women are as good as any in the world. The nation is determined that they shall be carried out fully and properly, and that whatever money is required will not be grudged. “This war loan has as one of its chief objectives something to which every citizen can contribute with pleasure and pride. It is a genuine victoty loan in the proper sense of the word, in investment of money for the purpose of commemorating the victorious conclusion of the greatest of all wars in a manner which appeals to a free and peace-loving nation as worthy of them.” The importance of lending for war purposes was emphasised by Mr Poison, who declared that he knew of no better Corrective for inflation. than to let the Government use surplus money in this way. He believed that patriotic and willing citizens would see to it that the loan was a success. “New Zealand's war job," concluded Mr Poison, “has been well and faithfully done, and I am confident it will continue to be.” CANTERBURY DISTRICT FIRST MILLION REACHED District figures for the 1945 Victory Lean now stand at £1,008,009, and it is hoped that the second million will be reached by the week-end. The Victory Loan ball held on Wednesday night resulted in £2IOO worth of bonds being sold. Entertainment will be**continued in the Square to-day, when servicemen will contribute items. Mr T. N. Smallwood, chairman of the New Zealand National War Savings Committee, is in Christchurch and is addressing the* staffs of several large city shops. Additional subscriptions have been received from the following;—C. H. Tavlor, £500; Hay's, Ltd., . £2000; Commercial Travellers’ Association, £1500; Clergv Pension Trust Board, £500; Canterbury Steam Shipping Company, £2000; Albany Dairy, Ltd., £IOOO. y