The Waipawa Mail. TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1917. THE NATION’S NEED.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 7921, 21 August 1917, Page 2

The Waipawa Mail. TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1917. THE NATION’S NEED.

Perhaps the greatest difficulty in the way of creating a universal interest in a war loan is the belief, the product of peaceful times, that State loans are entirely the concern of the wealthy. A war loan is not; it is the concern of all the people in the State, from the working man to the rich manufacturer and the banker. The money for our part in this war must be obtained. It is as essential to victory as reinforcements for our army in Prance and Palestine, and as a preparation for victory it concerns everybody in the community. The only alternative to not raising it ourselves is to borrow it from England, and to all who realise the immense burden England is carrying, that is repulsive. This community must, for its own part in the war and its own self-respect, be self-reliant.

We therefore most earnestly commend the war loan to the attention of all our readers, rich and poor. It is a safe and attractive investment. We are not concerned now with what we regard as its blemishes, but only with helping to make it a success, and to do so we emphasise its attractions. But there is a higher ground of appeal than interest and security, and that is patriotism. “And after all, how small are the sacrifices which are demanded of us compared with those that are being made by our sons and brothers?” said Mr Bonar Law in launching the “Victory Loan.” “Just use your imagination, picture to yourself what is happening at this very hour where these men, the flower of our people, are risking their lives, are enduring hardships of all kinds in order to save for us the country which they love. Shall it ever be said of us that we were willing to give our sons, but were not willing to give our money?” The Chancellor of the Exchequer would have made the contrast still more striking if he had said “willing to give our money at 5 per cent.” The people of New Zealand are not asked to make the State a present of their money; they are invited to invest in the safest of securities. The investor forgoes investment in something more profitable, or 'abandons some enterprise, or does without something not essential either to living or business. That is all, and it is dust in the balance against the risk taken by the man at the front. It is therefore tile duty of every man and woman in this country who by any possibility can spare anything for the purpose, to contribute to the loap. Every cheque, every pound note, every shilling is a missile fired at the enemy. “The first charge upon all your surplus money over your needs for yourselves and your children,” said Mr Lloyd George to the people of Britain, “should be to help those gallant young men of ours who have tendered their lives for the cause of humanity. The more we get the surer the victpry. The more we get the shorter the war.'’ ’ This appeal carries far beyond the shores of Britain, and we in this remote country shall be unworthy if we do not heed it.

CURRENT TOPICS. Election Gossip. Persistent rumors are afloat as to the probability of a general election this year, but they may be very largely discounted as “hot air.” We have heard of preparations being made in several places to revise the electoral roll, of theatres being booked for the night before the election, and of other signs which usually portend an appeal to the electors. There is no denying the fact that a large section of the members of the House are not in accord with the actions of the National Government, but they are not by any means strong enough to force a general election. A Question of Policy. On an appeal to the country at this stage there could be but one issue—a National Government pledged to do its utmost to ensure this country doing its full share towards winning the War. Hence when peace came—and it might come early in the new year—we should have a Government witli no settled policy, a Government made up oi representatives of all parties. That is a combination which eould not last for a month in normal times, and another appeal to the country would be inevitable. To force the . issue at the present stage would only mean making confusion worse confounded, and result in no practical benefit to the country.

Talking Figures. A return presented to the House on the motion of Mr Webb, shows the number and value of motor cars imported into the Dominion between August 4th, 1914, and March 31st, 1916. The total number was 6434, valued at £1,069,554. Imports between August 4th and March 31st, 1915, were 2010, valued at £509,263, and for the year ended March 31st, 1916, imports numbered 5524, and were valued at £660,191. Conscription of Wealth.

It is difficult to find a suitable category in which to class the attitude of some sections of the Labor party

in respect to the carrying on of the I war. Take, for instance,- the protest lodged by the secretary of the United Federation against the Liberty Loan, and challenging the Government to submit the proposals to the country. The needs of the moment are men, money and munitions. To appeal to the country would entail a long delay. Are we to suppose that the war is going to stop while the electors decide how the money to carry it on is to be raised ? This is not the time to waste weeks in academic discussions of policy. The Government needs the money, and at once. If the Labor party and others think that wealth is not contributing its share towards the winning of the war it can receive due attention when the settling up comes. Meantime, Labor oppositionists arc simply helping the enemy to prolong the war.