MONEY FOR THE WAS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16762, 31 January 1918, Page 4

MONEY FOR THE WAS.

DOMINION'S NEXT LOAN.

ABOUT TEN MILLIONS.

TO BE RAISED SHORTLY.

A SHORT statement regarding the finances of the Dominion and the money needed for the war was made last evening by the Minister for Finance, Sir Joseph Ward, who is now visiting Auckland. Speaking in regard to the war loan authorised last session, Sir Joseph stated that the portion that had not yet been raised would be placed on the market about the end of February or early in March. The amount, he said, would be about £10,000,000, or possibly less. This would enable war requirements to be provided for until tho end of June or July.

In respect to revenue and expenditure, Sir Joseph said that, as he had stated about three weeks ago, the position at the end of the first nine months of the financial year, ended December 31, was very satisfactory. It was as yet too early to make any forecast as to the figures for the current quarter, but he felt certain that at the end of March the position would be found to be a strong one. In regard to taxation, he said that the burden that the people were now called upon to bear was a heavy one. Should the war unhappily be prolonged for another year or two, heavier calls would be unavoidable, but ho thought that the present state of interral affairs in Germany and Austria justified the hope that the struggle would not continue for any long period.