LIBERTY LOAN

Grey River Argus, 10 June 1943, Page 4

LIBERTY LOAN

Why so Large ? SUPPLY MINISTER EXPLAINS. WELLINGTON, June 9. Hon; D. G. Sullivan as Minister of Supply and Munitions and Minister in Charge of Stabilisation, discussed the Liberty Loan to-night, disclosing facts which demonstrate why so large a loan is needed this year. “New Zealand.” he said, “will be supplying foodstuffs, under Reverse-Lease-Lend, of an estimated value of nine millions. Allowing for increased production, the cold facts are that millions of pounds worth of food must be diverted to war purposes. In addition, New Zealand’s ship building programme provides for the constructing of vessels this year at a cost of about two millions for the South Pacific and the South-West Pacific areas. As in previous years, New Zealand would be supplying to its armed forces a huge amount of stores, equipment and munitions, all of which are produced in factories which, otherwise, would be producing goods for civilian use. Because we will be producing hundreds of thousands of pairs of military footwear for men nad women of the forces and millions of yards of cloth for their uniforms; also radios for the forces, to mention only three general items, it is physically impossible to main--tain supplies in the wide range we used to enjoy for civilian use. These were some of the -facts mentioned by Mr. Sullivan to enforce his strong plea that the community should realise the difference between the level of purchasing power and the level of available goods for consumption by civilians. Thus, he added, by contributing to the war loan, we would serve a double, and a, treble .purpose. We would provide the money that procures food, clothing, fighting equipment, and munitions for the gallant soldiers who were defending the Allied cause, our country and our freedom, with their lives. We were by local production saving shipping space so vital to-dav. and narrowing on the home front the dangerous inflationary gap through which we could be destroyed as effectively as by enemy bombs.