Then, in 1914 came the great ordeal of the World War, in which New Zealand was involved from the very beginning and in which the Prime Minister and his Legislature were burdened with responsibilities unprecedented in the history of the country. A National Cabinet was formed, in which the Liberals were represented, with Sir Joseph Ward well placed as Minister of Finance. For four years the exigencies of the war occupied the whole attention of Mr. Massey and his Ministers. The raising of the Expeditionary Forces and maintaining reinforcements, maintaining supplies, providing finance (New Zealand raised more than eighty millions of money for the needs of the War), the control of prices in order to prevent profiteering, and the maintenance of shipments of food and wool for the heart of the Empire—all these made up a tremendous load of responsibilities. Splendidly did Prime Minister, Parliament and people grapple with the task, in common with the other units of the British Commonwealth.