A LOYAL FIRM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15932, 1 June 1915, Page 9

A LOYAL FIRM.

[Published by Arrangement.]

The following letter has been written by Mr. George Fenwick to the Otago Daily Tunes, of which he is managing director:— PERSECUTION. TO THE EDITOR. Sir,To anyone who has lived in Dunedin for the past 15 or 20 years the set which is being made against the firm of Hallenstein Bros, and Co. (Limited), and the businesses wit!- which they are connected is almost inexplicable. As one vhc. has been brought more or less into contact with the members of the firm from the time when the late Mr. Bendi.x Hallenstein founded the New Zealand Clothing Factory, and thereafter established throughout New Zealand the retail branches of that hive of industry which has for several decades given steady employment to many hundreds of our young people, 1 should bo glad if you will afford mo space for a few words on the position which has arisen. The late Mr. Hallenstein and his brothers, whose combined capital was the means of starting the clothing factory business and its retail branches, originally came to Australia, and the foundation of their fortunes was there laid. Mr. Bendi.v. Hallenstein came to Dunedin from Melbourne in tin very earliest years of the gold discoveries in Otago, and, settling in Queenstown, by steady application to the genera) storekeeping business he started in that goldfields township, prospered. Thereafter he moved to Dunedin, and, as mentioned above, in conjunction with his brothers, the whole of them having been for years naturalised British subjects, put a large amount of capital into the new clothing factory venture. This capital cannot with a shadow of justification be called German capital. It was made in British colonies by naturalised British subjects. In like manner the Hallenstein capital was instrumental in founding the Drapery Importing Company, familiarly known as the . DIG., .and this business also has given employment to large numbers cf men and (women in the various cities in New Zealand in which its branches are established. In the course of nature the original founiders of these largo industrial concerns passed away, and their respective shares jin the businesses came into the hands of sons and daughters, o.nn in Australia or [New Zealand. Mr. Bendix Hallen.tein'a I daughters married gentlemen who are I directors of Hallenstein Bros, and Co. ! (Limited) and of the D.1.C.. one of them a Germaj who for over 25 years has b»eu a naturalised British subject. To anyone who knows Mr. Eels or the present-day members of the Hallenstein family it is utterly preposterous to say that any one of them is anything but absolutely loyal and true to British interests. If good I citizenship and extreme liberality in ~'ivling to all worthy objects that come beiore ! the community for help count for anything. 1 then the businesses of the New Zealand Clothing Factory and D.I.C. should be a* I heartily and genuinely supported as those | of any' other traders in the community. ' As to the loyalty of the head of these i firms to the British nation whose subjects ' they are, it is of the most complete type. I They are in the first rank with the many | patriotic men in tins city who have devoted 'time and money to the Empire's cause. '< Hallenstein Pros. I.imitef) came forward at the beginning of ti.e «a: with t.it handsome subscription of £500 to the patimtic i funds: they from the outset encomaged , their employee to volunteer for the Expeditionary F-i.e. undert-.kmg '.<> pay all ■who enrolled half-pay for six aionlns and to keep theii positions open unt'l t.ceir ieturn. The pe5...;,! views of the various ' members of the thin are. I know, so strongly abhorrent of the inhuman prac : tiees -f the Germans m the conduct of the war. and their dc-ire for the t.iemph of : the allies is >-, -hearted ami earnest. ,<, i also knoe: from pr.sonal conversations ;,', them-ixtendim; with Mr. Pels to !|,j, conse:,t to the enlistment of his only ,„'n with the N'ew Zealand Expeditionary ■ v..rre—tliat no fair minded nun t«". « ; t,i> '.', knowledge of these things, any lomrer i ha ,b,,ur suspicion or doubt as to their I genuineness. H is. then, cruel and imw.athy .1 embers of lb..- community to give Ih.ir countenance to the eff.iit' tint are lieu* '''" to damage the businesses ■> Ml .*- reus who are ova! subjects of the Kinp.-e; it .* i a departure from the traclit maiy llr.tuli Ifa-r-nlav of which we are ad more or less I'll ~, hoist and it is undoubtedly inclined to hoist- ami .- • . high time thai th I'ioiuMle- and ii.i----i thinking should fairly consider the ,os; ion land act in .i spirit mole worthy of the.r j nationality and of the dictates of fair p.ay and justice. .... , K As for the reward! v and vindictive nV>n who in Wanganui last Siitttrdiy rrglit disgraced themselves by destroying the property of men whoso shoes they are not worthy to black, they ate only deserving „f scorn and contempt. As Mr. Asqiiith 'has said, it is conduct of that kind that is /lenroaeh to the nation.-! am, etc., | GEOUOE t'EXWICS.