WOUNDED SOLDIERS 'FUND.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 March 1916, Page 3

WOUNDED SOLDIERS 'FUND.

• DIRECT TAXATION FAVORED. BY WAREA FARMERS. A LIVELY MEETING. There was. an attendance of about 32 suppliers, including several ladies, at a meeting of the Warea Dairy Company convened to discuss tlie question of making a contribution to the funds in aid of the wounded soldiers. Tlie meeting yjas not a very lengthy one, but was, at times, very lively, personalities being indulged in. Mr. J. Burgess, chairman of directors, presided, and amor.» the directors present 'were Messrs. A. Clothier, C. Wells, X. Rumball, and W. U. .Smith The chairman said that he did not think that the subject would need much explanation They were merely asking the company to contribute as a company towards the Wounded Soldiers' Fund. All knew that this was a war for our very existence. On its result depended whether v.( would have our liberty as a free country, or whether we would go under for as lons as we lived. Many men in New Zealand had given their lives and limbs to the common causenot for themselves alone, but for us also. When they returned, he asked, \ver» we going to allow them to be worse off than when they departed? If wo did not see that they were better off, we would not be men, hut brut," beasts! We at home wbo were giving Is or 2s per week thought that we were doing wonders, but, he asked, was that onc° twentieth of what they were making out of the war? Before the effects of the war were experienced, they had received Is per lb butter-fat, 'last year they received Is <ld, and this yeaT tbey wonld receive more than that. Were they going to say that they would not return a fraction to the men who had sacrificed themselves for us? He ho;-"d not. He did not think they could sit down quietly and contentedly and pocket profits made by the exertions of those who had shed their blood and lost their lives. He did not think anyone in the room would object to the proposal in the abstract. If they did they would not be men. ' I

Mr. -I. Lawn interrupted by saying that he thought tlie chairman had gone too far. Mr. G. Julian said that suppliers had a right to their own opinions. They were not prepared to give because the directors said they must'. The directors were not the Government, whose place it should be to impose a tax. Mr. Lawn also urged that the Government should impose a tax. _ Mr. Burgess pointed out that tha Government had not seen fit to impose a tax which wou'd apply equally on everyone. The nearest, therefore,'they should get was to put a tax on the dairy company. One or two outside the company might escape, but he could not *ee how he would get at them, or ht> gladly would. After some further discussion, the chairman pointed out that the directors could have voted the money without calling the shareholders, 'but they thought it advisable to do so.

Mr. n, Julian said lie was quite prepared to pay any ta:.' the Oovernment might levy, but he would not pay through the factory. Factories on cither side were not doing so. He had joined the YVarca factory under its Articles of Association, and if these were broken, the directors were doing to the shareholders as the Oermans had done to Belgium. If the Government wanted money let them say so. He would be found as loyal as anyone. i Mr. Burgess then formally moved that the AVarea Co-operative Dairy Factory Co., Ltd., make a contribution to the fund in aid of the wounded soldiers of New Zealand, such contribution to be provided out of the proceeds of the operations of the company for the current yc:i.\ Mr. A. Clothier seconded. Mr. Ceo. Julian moved as an amendment, that those who wish to contribute may do so. and that those who do not wish to need not This was seconded by Mr. J. Lawn. It was pointed out that this was not an amendment, but the mover asserted that he wished to make it a voluntary matter. If the resolution was carried, the m;r.i who voted against it would be compelled to contribute, and so would be a slave to the directors, who had no right to dictate to thorn. Mr. If. Corbett said that they were benefiting by the blood and lives of their bow. and yet would not lift a fmgC! to h"ip. He would not, call them men. If ail the re-t of Xew Zealand had been like W<irea, they would have had both war tax and conscription Iwelve months ago.

A voice: "'i'lio oroner thing.". All. i awn r,':rp.'.".;:d :'•■■{ ".io::.y was collected in various pa";", for patriotic purposes, and they could not tell if it reached the right quarter or not.

Mr. Corbett continuing, said that if Sir Joseph Ward had thought a, war tax desirable they would have had it. Mr. Cassie, referring to the need for donations, pointed out that a lad who .was working for him. now invalided home, had his ckithes blown to shreds in the trenches, and of 1300 in that fight only US returned. Mr. .1. Lawn: We've come here for enlightenment and you've told us a lot of childish d rot. We want' to see those soldiers not dependent on charity. Mr. <!. Julian said that the proposal would hit hardly on the men who could not afford it. Men who had to pay heavy interest would have to pay through the factory equally with these who had their farms clear and money out at interest. In reply to Mr. T. Julian, the chairman said that the only factory along the coast that was taxing itself was Opua, which, with .--even suppliers, had paid £7">. Mr. T. Julian said that at a patriotic Mieefing, Mr. Burgess had ben asked whether it was proposed to make nuv contribution through the factory, and had replied in the negative. On that basis all had contributed to the fund. Mr. Buraess had headed the list with £lO 10s, and had said he would double this if two others paid £lO 10s. Though two others did so, Mr. Burgess had not doubled his amount. It, was pointed out that Mr. Burgess had promised 2s per acre, which'he would raise to l s per acre if anvone else did. The amendment -was withdrawn. The chairman said that, if the resolution Was carried, a further resolution fixing the amount would be necessary. Last year's output was 253,0371bs of butter-fat, ls 8d would produce £147. The factory had paid out £18,850 and one per cent of this would equal £IBB.. The resolution was lost, and on a division being demanded, only the chairman, Messrs, Clothier, Cassie, Corbett, Wells and Kumball voted in its favor. Mr. W. Revell moved a vote of thanks to the chairman for calling the meeting and wasting their time. 'This wag' not seconded

Mr. H. Chapman then moved that this meeting regrets the inaction of the present Government in not raising the vow necessary moans on an equitable basis from all classes in the Dominion for prosecuting tliis war and that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Messrs. Okey, Wilkinson, Jennings, and Hino, M's.F. This was seconded by Mr. ft. Julian and parried, with one'or two dissentients, who considered it a vote of nocoiitidenee in the Government. The chairman expressed his disappointment at the. proposal being turned down. For his own part, lie said that some time ago when (lie proposal to gontvilvate to the Belgian* was turned down he had given as a contribution double the amount that he would have been liable to, and he intended to do likewise on this occasion.