THURSDAY, MARCH 28. 1918. THOSE FINANCIAL SHIRKERS. Let Them Be Pilloried.

Free Lance, Volume XVII, Issue 924, 28 March 1918, Page 6

THURSDAY, MARCH 28. 1918. THOSE FINANCIAL SHIRKERS. Let Them Be Pilloried.

" I |T|TE hope Sir Joseph Ward will be * * as good as his word with regard to those contemptible people, the wealthy shirkers, who refuse to do their duty in subscribing to the War Loan. Sir Joseph was in specially good form the other day at the Commercial Travellers' Club, and his reference to the Loan dodgers was applauded to the echo. We agree with Sir Joseph that it would serve- the financial shirkers right if their names "were put on record in the Legislature, so that the people of New "Zealand would know who they were who did not do their duty." It is plain from what the Minister of Finance said that he thinks the compulsory powers possessed by the Government will have to be put into force in connection with the new Loan. But how about last year's Loan? Was it necessary to put the compulsory clause into force in any instance? If so, the names of the persons; to whom the pressure had to be applied should be made public. ■, ' * ' * * * There can be nothing more contemptible than the spectacle of a wealthy ■ man hoarding up his money, with the idea of waiting until the interest rate gets higher, and refusing to come to •his country's assistance in her hour of need. Sir Joseph tells us that "there were some people of large and moder-

ate means who had done nothing ; others had done very little." Let the country know the names of these selfish "financial shirkers." - Let these men be held up to public contempt and shame. Again we say we sincerely trust that Sir Joseph will be as good as his word and pillory the greedy fellows who are hanging on to their gold in the hope of future high interest.