TWO MILLION LOAN

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 93, 18 October 1915, Page 3

TWO MILLION LOAN

m HELPING OURSELVES "THE SILVER BULLET" The prospectus of the two million loan for public works, which is to be raised within the Dominion, was published in the local newspapers on Saturday, and last evening the Minister for Finance made a statement to the press regarding the nature and purpose of the operation. "To all intents and purposes this is as much a war loan, as it would be if it were raised directly for Che equipment of armies and the provision of munitions," said Sir Joseph Ward. "The Mother Country has undertaken to provide the money the Dominions require for their military operations — a matter of some five or six millions in the case of New Zealand alone for the current year — but with the enormous demands being made upon her in every direction we cannot in reason or decency expect her to finance our local expenditure as well "In normal conditions we should have gone to London for this money. But the conditions to-day are_ not normal, and it behoves us as patriotic citizens of the Empire to shoulder this burden ourselves, in order that our work of development and production, which is of more importance than ever to the nation in the present crisis., shall go on with as little interruption as possible. The maintenance and expansion of industries, tz-ade, and commerce are scarcely of less consequence than the supply of men in the present terrible struggle, and I am sure that people who realise this fact will not hesitate to assist in supplying what are essentially and in a very special sense the sinews of war. "There is no need 'to say anything about the loan as a means of investment. It will particularly appeal to the small iijvestor in this respect. There are no alarming formalities to be observed, no delays, no risks, no commissions to be paid. The interest is good, the security the best in the world, the time of-re-payment practically at the option of the investor His debenture will always be saleable at its face value and probably at a premium. ' " But I would rather appear to the sentiment of the small capitalist than to his business instincts. Many of us are unable to go to the war. Age, physical disability, domestic responsibilities, all of them or any of them may tie us to our homes; but here we have an opportunity to do the next best thing — to help "on, to the utmost of our means, the sacred cause for which the whole Empire is fighting, to remind our kith and kin at the front that we are ready to do our part without stint, and to demonstrate to our enemies that no difficulties and no sufferings, no opposition, however formidable it may be, can -weaken oar resolution nor lessen our enthusiasm. "It may seem unnecessary for New Zealand to make repeated displays of its loyalty. Hero -we all know so -well how deeply it is ingrained in the very life and being of the people, that even its expression may appear a superfluity. But our enemiea, who miss no opportunity for the invention of new lies or the circulation of fresh slanders, are watching us as closely as ever to-day, with the same malign purpose as they started the war, and would delight in any excuse _ for the repetition of their infamous misrepresentations. I want to see the people of the Dominion, every man and woman, and even every child, joining ,in a united effort to send to them the answer which has been flung back by our countrymen at the battle front and in the trenches We all can hurl the silver bullet according to our financial ability. Let us do it now." The prospectus has been well received in Wellington, and financial authorities expect there will be a ready response by both small and large investors. Forms of application may be obtained from any Postal Money-Order Office or from the Treasury.