BREAKERS AHEAD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXI, Issue 5056, 6 March 1900, Page 3

BREAKERS AHEAD.

Miss Agnes Wenton, who has written a little book entitled •• B't^k^rs Ahp^d," B»ys thab whichever way ws (urn our i-e'tscope over the troubled ncfjanof Kurop9»n p.iiitioß, the outlook is g'»v-. The f»:i<>wir<q extract from the work und r notice will be rva-l with interest by many. Under tho ii; )e •• Romance ; and Realiry " the author tells a tale of the I Crimea and the Patriotic Fund :--

Romance ami Reality

A Talb of the Crimea and the Patriotic Fund. In conjunction wilh Miss Winlz I have devoted a great deal of time \nd labour this year in endeavouring to get some amelioretion of the administration of funds to widows, orphans, and mothers, and notably those of the Royal Patriotio Fund. I was ■übpeenaed to give evidence before a Select Committee of the Hnu°e of Commons, and was exhaustively cross--ximi cd. On another occasion I brought nine-age.l women to the House of Commons, whose ages ran from 70 to 83 yeara ; all widows or mothers of soldiers or sailors ; all desperately poor } and most of them on 2s 6d a wrek—parish relief. One poor old woman said : " I don't understand this. My husband did the service to his country, I have to bear the poverty, and the Commissioners have the money." A simple argument, truly, but one that would commend itself to the nation when they know thab there is a surplus on the Crimoan | Fund now of £17,000

Mrs Harwell was the first witness called. She is a ailver-haired, piotureEqae o'd woman of 83 years. She leaned on a stout oak st'ck, and looked eminently patriarch I. Her history is interesting and romantic. S >c was aotually in the trenches during t c Crimean war. She went out with Mis« Nightingale and tended the sick and wotinde 1 soldiers [.ike many another, a romano • was woven into that awful time. She nursed a soldier terrib'y striken down with frost bites ; and they fell in love with each other, and, after the war, the brave sergeant and the nurso were married. Be never recovered from the terrible Crimean winter j his life was shortened ; and now this old soul is left to battle with p :verly.

Another was a mother, whose son had gone down in H.M.S. Ciptain ; he had helped his o!ri mother from a boy, and would have been helping her now if he had not died at the post of du'y. She had pleaded vainly for seme portion of the National Fund ; but it has been denied, and she is eking out her living on parish pay. Cases o*n be multiplied to any extent and people say : " How is thin ?' It is comp ratively easy to collect money, but it is difficult to administer it. It needs promptness ; it Dfieds ♦' touch " and kindliness; ib needs, as I told the Committee, •• a woman's touch, as well as men's administration."

Keformation, I believe, there will be. The " red tape and cast iron ' will, I trust, be cast overboard, and a very different administration will succeed. Evil is wrought for want of knowledge and practical experience, and I bubrnit that a board of gentlemen, albeit they be called a Royal Cemmission, cannot do tuch work as this as it should be dona.

Tha ci q'liry his terminated, and the verdict has hen given. I rejoice to say that the points for which I earnestly contested, have been conceded. The Selects Committee express their opinion that the Patriotic Commission needs reforming, and suggest that the number of Commissioners should be reduced to fifteen. They atao place on record their opinion that whenever a fund is aubscribod by the benevolence and liberality of the public " for a specific set of sufferers it should be administered in accor. dance to.th the undoubted intentions of the donors." which they believe at all times to be that the whd'e of the money so subscribed shall be gradually, but completely, distributed in the shape of pensions, and gratutie«> for the widows, oiphans, &0., of the brave men who lose their lives in their country's service.

As to the future administration of current funds, the Committee recommend that »,he various naval funds ehou'd be brought) together under one head and «fcvled the Royal Naval Relief Fund ; that, all mixed funds subscribed for the benefit of soldiers, sailors, and marines should be amalgamated and administered under the title of the Royal Patriotic Fund ; and that the funds subscribed solely fur soldiers, such as the Soldier's Fff cis Funds should bs kept separate and administered for the benefit of soldiers only, Being agreed that greater publicity ought to be given to the advantages coi-ferred by the various funds, rhe Oommittee recommend the comnnnd:ng officers of regiments and ships should be supplied by tho (JommifRioners from time to time with reports as to the condition of each of the funds.

Those who have come before a Selec* Committee well know the labour and anxiety it involves, the work beforehand, as well as at the time Miss Winl z helped me nobly in all this, and the subjoined letter shows that my naval friends have backed me up,