OCR NEXT WAR LOAN

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15183, 31 March 1917, Page 3

OCR NEXT WAR LOAN

MINISTERS STIRRING APPEAL.

■ -EVERY EFFORT NEEDED. ( THE CALL FOR 1 ECONOMY. , ,

Concerning the projected war loan ee likely to be raised shortly, the Homl W. G. Bussell, Minister of Public Health, Internal Affaire, and Marine,! who' left Wanganui for Taranaki to* day, made an eloquent appeal to the people of tins coast and Hie Dominion generally.', Mr Bussell said: It' is devoutly to be hoped that when the loan is floated it will receive ,at least as ready a response as was the case with the last one. Probably,-■ in view of the urgency of the matter. New Zealand may rise to a still greater height of financial assistance to the Empire. The Mother Country has during this colossal war faced a huge financial responsibility on her own behalf, as well as in the direction' of assisting our. Allies. Britain has created a huge department of munitions, has maintained and extended her magnificent Navy, which proudly holds., Hie seas, and had one by one been a source of'strength, to the other Great Powers engaged in the war against Germany. We in New Zealand' have no right to expect that our financial responsibility should be borne by the Mother/ Country. The wealth of New s Zealand is .enormous. 1 T recently made a calculation of the public and private wealth-of this'country, and after most carefully examining the same, found that it could be safely estimated at eight hundred millions. 1 am prepared to justify at any • time this calculation. To ask, therefore,' the people of New Zealand for another yearns supply of money to maintain our forces and to. provide for out own responsibilities as an integral part' gf the Empire, is but a small thing. Indeed, , I think’ it: possible that after the war New Zealand may consider herself honourably entitled to assist the Mother Country to carry the huge burden which she has taken upon herself in ‘ order* to defeat our enemies and' maintain those .'principles of liberty and- justice for ; which Britain has always stood. Whether we as a nation are prepared to accept that larger duty remains to be seen. ,At ; any rate, there can be no doubt that our immediate duty is to pay for our part in the war. A very small part, it is, considering that Britain is fighting for our defence and protection, exactly the same as for the defence and protection of the British Isles. If one part of the Empire goes down, we all go down with it. The suggestion the Hon. Mr Myers has made, that the people should already take stock and prepare to participate in the flotation of the next loan, is one, which should commend itself to every patriot. While the Government will be anxious that the loan shall be what is called a gilt-edged security and a good investment, there is surely a higher call than the merely financial aide in this matter. The Empire calls in the hour of its .agony for help. Gur men have cheerfiily fought and bled, and many of them have died, for the cause. Our women have with dry eyes and brealdng hearts sent their sons, their brothers, their husbands—aVe, and even their fathers—to help in the struggle. Many of them have- made Hie great sacrifice. The call now pomee to those who are possessed of means, whether large or small, jo make not only an investment, but even a sacrifice. " That is the point at which they can assist. Perhaps it is the only sacrifice many may be in a position to make. I therefore trustnay, more; speaking as a member of the National Government of New Zealand, I feel sure that the settlers and producers on this coast, one of , the richest and most prosperous parts' of the Dominion, will from their ample means —which have in many cases been substantially increased by the high price our products are commanding—give, and give cheerfully, to assist the new war loan when it is placed on the market. After what has been said it will be realised that the call to economy, to the abolition of luxuries, to the restriction of, all unnecessary expenditure, is clamant, and should !be incessant during the remainder -of the war, as regards not only our public bodies and institutions, but also in connection with personal. and domestic expenditure. Every expenditure that can be postponed until the war is over should be, and the money thus released can certainly not be better spent than in being added to the war loan.