The North Otago Times WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1917. NEW ZEALAND'S PLEDGE.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13929, 11 July 1917, Page 4

The North Otago Times WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1917. NEW ZEALAND'S PLEDGE.

•In the course of Ifis reply to the address of welcome tendered,by his ■supporters at Pukekohe, the other evening, Mr Massey said "that tow-Zealand had pledged itself to do all in its power to assist in bringing the war to a successful conclusion." If the Prime Minister is really sincere in his declaration pf New Zealand's national obligation! and he is convinced that

New Zealand has pledged itself to do all in its power to assist in bringing the war to a successful conclusion," we ask him to turn his attention to the financial position of some of the people of New Zealand as revealed by the banking returns for the quarter ended Jun£ 30th. The people are getting tired of the patriotic pratings of the politician^'who seem to think that New Zealand's share of the burden'of the war consists of sending a couple of thousand of the other fellow" to the war everv month. If any section of the com-

inanity has shirked its duty, it is not the young men. With them, there has been generous patriotic service. Mr Massey and his colleagues talk as if when New Zealand "had pledged itself to do all in its power to assist in bringing the war to a successful conclusion," all the peo:ile beyond military age and those whose physical ( condition unfitted them for military service were to be excluded from helping to discharge New Zealand's pledge. Lot out politicians turn from tin; soldiers and take stock of the civilians. ' Who is doing the work of assisting in bringing the Avar to a successful" conclusion"? Which section of the community? Everybody appreciates the willing sacrifice our brave soldiers have made; and there is not a man in New Zealand who is not proud of the imperishable deeds which our men have inscrib-

1 ed upon the blood-stained' roll of honour. Out there, amid the terrors of a struggle against a merciless foe, our. sons and brothers are doing all in their "power to assist in bringing the war to a successful conclusion." At home? Mr Massey should trv his homiletical discourses about patriotism on the people who stay at home.

A gam we say, Mr Massev and your National Cabinet, talk 110 more about New Zealand s obligations until you have explained the latest banking returns. What do these returns reveal? If New Zealand is not the biggest financial shirker of all the countries engaged in the war, we should Like Mr Mnssey or Sir Joseph Ward to name a greater offender. Enormous sums are being piled up in our banks. Three years ago, the figures for the -June quarter showed deposits in | the trading banks totalling

£28,847,000. After nearly three years of war, the deposits now aggregate'£44.62(s,oo! But tliis is not all. To this enormous aggregate of-deposits must be added the deposits in, the. Savings .Banks which have advanced by some £10,000,000- Do those figures impl'ess Mr Masisey and Mis colleague;; who neyer tire of preaching national service and equality of sacriDo the members of our National Cabinet care to lie'reminded that since the''commencement of the war, the total increase in the deposits in the trading and savings; banks is represented in the enormous sum of nearly £26,000,000 ? If "New Zealand'bus pledged itself to-do all in its power to assist in | bringing..the. war .to a -successful Cpiidlusioji,. what. .are. our politicians • (loing to permit enormous ■sii'ms to be piled up in our banta

'at a time when the, nation Is 611= gaged ilinllfettlldiathstiugglc.' and. OVCfy sovereign is needed to■ cru'sh the Hums? Turn your attention, loquacious politicians/to the man who owns, the millions in the ; banks and who is shirking l'iis clear obligations 10 the country; Why should one section of the coinimui- v ity shed its blood) while another section,, living at home in comfort and security, is piling up wealth in the banks, apparently ItlllilifidM of the great sacrifices the "other follow" is making? In 1914, the private deposits in all the banks were £44,721,410; at the end of the June quarter of this year after nearly three years of war, these deposits had increased to £66,514,474—a remarkable growth of nearly £22,000,000, about 50 pei 1 ' cent, In war time, too! An important detail is that the bulk of the increase has.been in the non-interest-hear-ing deposits held by the trading banks/which have nearly doubled since the outbreak of the war, tli<? advance being from £14,698,000 to £23,380.000 The banking returns speak for themselves. _ Do they speak to the National Cabinet? If Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward are sincere in their desire to honour New Zealand's pledge to do nil in its power to assist in bringing the war to successful conclusion, they should cease from their talk to our eligible fighting men and put a little of their preaching into practice by making the prosperous present pay for our war services rather than hand down to the uncertain future a heavier debt than is necessary.