LANCINGS THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 1918. THE LATEST LOAN. Make It a Success.

Free Lance, Volume XVII, Issue 923, 21 March 1918, Page 6

LANCINGS

THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 1918. THE LATEST LOAN. Make It a Success.

: Here ehal the Press the People's right maintain Unawed by principle and unbribed by gain; Here patriot Truth her glorious precepts draw ' Pledged to Religion, Liberty,and Law

/T\NCE .again Sir Joseph Ward, as , Minister of Finance, appeals to ±ihe country to subscribe a War Loan. .Time."whs,-, even in Vogel's days, when the very announcement of. a nine and ' -a-half million loan would have sent the whole colony into a delirium of excitement. To-day, such as are the altered conditions', the public takes- tne appeal quite coolly, recognising the fact that the money must he found, and that/when it is found, it could not. be better spent than in assisting the Government to carry out the Dominion's duty to the Empire in providing, troops to aid the noble worb of defeating the Hun and saving not only the Mother Country but the whole Empire from the disaster which would fall upon us in the case of a German, triumph. We have said the public - will receive tlhe Finance Ministers appeal coolly. It must not, and, we feel convinced, will, not .receive it coldly. On the contrary, the loan should be as great a success as its predecessors, the v fully subscribing of which has proved to. the,world how.splendid are theresources of this comparatively small corner of the ..Empire, and how truly patriotic and devotedly loyal are its people. All classes of the community will,, as heretofore, be able to do their bit, for just as the wealthy man will Ja&ve the opportunity of subscribing his •■■ tens of thousands, so even the humblest worker can help the good cause along by going to the nearest Post Office and buying a> one .pound war certificate. In ■each case the subscriber makes a good investment and at the same time'-is rendering practically useful service to. Tais country. As , for those who can but "won't subscribe, if such there be, they may be here reminded of the . power which the State possesses of making "the contribution compulsory. * # * «■ Whilst on the subject of the new War Loan ..we might, suggest to the ITinance Minister that he should consider the desirableness of introducing the premium bond system. ' This system .has-been' in operation in;-France for nearly half arid has had a great deal to do with,, popularising the practice of lending to the State with the French working classes. No there might be a puritanical outcry;. against State encouragement of gambling, but this should be disregarded by. so sensible and practical a man as is Sir Joseph. As a matter of-fact, there is an element in gambling in all business and financial - transactions. The Government itself in its allbtment . of Crown land "sections, openly permits gambling, '' ' jlife•/ itself is one'loiig gamble, and.it-is 'absurd tp say that it is. in any way wicked or 'immoral to bring in the -element; of v chance when raisiagi our , Siateloans.- '■■ We^trust;that , if another war, .'-'loan: found necessary 1 the Firianc© Minister will ■thirik fit to •follow.the French precedent, a prece-