NATIONAL SHIRKING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17078, 29 January 1916, Page 9

NATIONAL SHIRKING.

MILLSTONE ROUND MOTHER COUNTRY'S NECK. " ARE WE GOING TO HELP?" Mr James Begg, of Mosgiel, writes to tho editor of the " Otago Daily Times" : Sir —lt is a pity that the people of this country do not realise that financially New Zealand is hanging liko a millstone round the neck ot the Mother Country and assisting Germany, Austria > and Turkey to strangle her. Though one of the wealthiest countries in the world in proportion to population, she is giving nothing of her resources in money to help the Empire in tho struggle. She is sending men, though not in the same proportion, as the Homo Country, and paying her men about four times the amount that the men of Kitchener's Army receive. Meantime she is borrowing her soldiers' pay from the land ot men who are content to fight for the Empire for one shilling and threepence per day. Now, 1 don't mean to suggest that our men are overpaid. They are not; and the provision for the wounded men and the dependants of killed, wounded and absent soldiers might well _ be made more generous. What I wish to urge is that we should be self-reliant enough to raise within New Zealand the money necessary to pay our war expenses, instead of borrowing it from people poorer than ourselves. Great Britain is struggling under a rapidly increasing load of debt. Loyal, devoted and wealthy New Zealand is deliberatelv adding' millions to the burden. Why? Simply because of the selfishness and want of courage of the Government and the people. One politician says that our internal development would be interfered with. Another says that_ the local rate of interest would' he raised, and so on. What do these things matter? Are we going to help to win this war or not? If the whole of the Empire were as selfish as New Zealand, it would have been defeated long ago. No doubt we intend some day to repay the monev we are borrowing, but the fact remains that at present a loan ot a million uounds to New Zealand has exactly the same effect on Britain s finances as a payment of a million rvour.d's to America for munitions. Our demands for money from Britain are so Wge in proportion to the number of men sent to fight that, apart from the moral value of our assistance, she would probably be better off without it, a? the same money would put double the number of her own men into the field. Our men who are sacrificing themselves for the Empire have won golden opinions everywhere, and their bravery and devotion make a fine hackground for the selfish egotism of both Government and' people. The members of the Government urge us to be economical, and instead of setting an example are spending as lavishly as ever. What use is there in being economical if the savinscs are not to be used to strengthen Britain's finances and assist in crushing our enemies? We are draining Britain's resources, both by the loans we are receiving and by the high prices she is paying us for wool, meat, dairy produce, etc.. and every ponnn we receive lessens Britain's financial ability to carry on the war. Under these conditions the Government should raise all the money possible, both by taxation and loan; first, to pav all our own war expenses, and second, to lend to Britain, for the duration of the war, all the surplus over and above our war expenses. I believe the Minister of Finance would he astonished at the response there would bo if he asked for a loan of five, or oven ten, millions for the purpose of assisting Britain at this crisis. I do not claim any originality for these id'eas. and -would refer vonr readers to an illuminating article in the. last number of the " Bound Table." entitled " The British Empire's Financial Task." The writer shows the urgent necessity for conserving Britain's financial strength. We are a small people, and the help we can give is not great, but surely we would all wish that New Zealand should do its little hit to uphold Britain in this crisis, instead' of helping her enemies to pull her down. Nothing hut tne force of public opinion will compel the National Government to take action as above indicated, and T trust, that you will use your influence to awaken the public conscience.