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Evening Star, Issue 16514, 28 August 1917, Page 4

In the course of a reference to the Australian strike and origin in the Taylor card system, the ' New Zealand Railway Review' states that there is a complete system of costing in the Dominion railways, but evidently it diifers from the Taylor system, since it has caused no trouble except in one instance. "In New Zealand railway workshops each job is given a number, and the workman enters in his timesheet the time occupied and the number of the job, sometimes giving an indication of what he has had to do. For years this system has worked smoothly, and enables the department to ascertain accurately the cost of work, making comparisons between the different shops. We remember some objectionable hustling, by setting one shop against another in building iron waggons, but the department wisely did not persist in it, as all the returns showed that good value was being given for the wage expenditure.'*

The last week has opened in the time allotted by the GoThS vernment for subLiberty Loan: scription to the Lib-Self-denial evty Loan. The apWeek. plications up to date are considered satisfactory. Certainly they are but a fraction Of the £12,000,000 asked for, but obviously the rush will bo during the last few days. People and institutions are engaged for the present in taking stock of their resources. To thi3 reason for delay is added the one that interest dqes not begin to accrue until the close of the period for investment. It is unthinkable that the loan shall foil. Such woidd be nothing short of a, catastrophe, and would bo dishonoring to the Dominion's patriotism. The issue of the Liberty Loan must and will be attended with success; but we are concerned to make that success signally .impressive. Whatever the achievement of Now Zealand in connection with thin loan, the news of it will be flashed next week along tho wires to all countries. Our enemicis will gain knowledge of It as well ae cur friends. If it is to lift with hope the latter it must strike with dismay tho former. Wo spoak for all public-spirited and truly patriotic people when we say that wo shall not be satisfied if the Liberty Loan is merely subscribed. Wo want it to be subscribed under such conditions that it will furnish a magnificent, indisputable, and disconcerting testimony to the_ War Council of Gormany of tho eelf-sa«iflcmg devotion cf tho inhabitants of this Antipodean Britain to tho cause for which European Britain has unslieathed her dread sword. This is a win-the-war loan; but its influence in furthering victory is not circumscribed by tho provision of supplies for the fighting forces. No; the people of this country will bo guilty of a grave shortcoming if to tho influence of furnishing the wherewithal of Iho continued conduct of hostilities iB not joined the subtler, but equally potent, influence for victory which the exhibition of a splendid demonstration of patriotic zeal and determination, after three years of acquaintance with the sorest boreavement, will not fail to exert upon tho morale of the Germany army. Now, what is the best way of compassing such a result? It lies in drawing the money for this War Loan from the economies of the people. After our repeated references to the urgency of making national economy tho source of the Liberty Loan, it is unnecessary to review the argument now. We would, however, remind the public that our advice to economise to lend is sounder than Sir Joseph Ward's latest advise to borrow to lend. The weight of high financial authority is behind us. With a view to promote this economy we would recommend to the people of Otago the advisability of making this week a week of self-denial. The {-Salvation Army have made the country familiar with an annual self-denial week for the purpose of aiding the distressed and unfortunate. What finer object for a self-denial week could present itself than this War Loan of £12,000,000? Let the public generally keep away from the picture show, the public bar, and the totalisator; let them eschew everything in the nature of luxury in food or clothing; let them, in short, deny themselves in order that they might gather resources for investment. Practise economy, of this kind for such a purpose on a large scale, and the war chariot in New Zealand will receive an acceleration J of speed unexampled in the history of the war. To take a single instance : the average expenditure per head on alcoholic j beverages is about 2s per week. There j are some 70,000 people in Greater j Dunedin and the adjacent suburbs, j This means that 140,000 shillings, or ! £7,000, might be drawn from tho Public Bar to the Public Treasury in Dunedin alone from one week's abstinence. Let investors give to this War Loan by giving up something, and it will be a glorious success. Millions of it might alone come out of the luxuries and amusements of the people.