"HARD LINES" SOLDIERS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9476, 13 December 1918, Page 5

"HARD LINES" SOLDIERS.

There is one thing that every soldier knows, and that is this: that i'or each man 1 who jrets a" decoration.there is at least, one who experiences "hard lines." ■ ' . 1 ' The reward'of this man is tho respect ot'.his comrades and "the' esteem of his officers. But tho people at home know nothing about it—and it is i'or the sake of the people- at home that tho soldier wants a decoration. It is possible that he may have done good consistent work, but that work may have just failed to "make_ a" picture"—it cannot be written into a sufficiently thrilling narrative to provoke the people at Brigade or Divisional Headquarters into giving him a D.C.M. or.M.M.

There never arc sufficient) decorations to go; round the deserving.

Take' a hyp teal instance:. There is a Gorman : macliine-gun opposite which has been causing much - annoyance. At night a corporal and two men, crawl out with; a iw bombs in their pocket's and blow it out of action. It is a clover piece of work, depending for its success «upon the steady nerve, and quick instinct of all three men. Thero is a Military Modal in it—but only one.

Quite rightly, the corporal gets it. He protests—and truthfully—that ho has done no more, to t earn a decoration Mian his'two 1 But his officers know' that if/three recommendar tions are sent in, two will certainly; be refused, and possibly all three. It; ■is nevertheless bad luck that the other two men should-have nothing to show at home for what they havedone. ' ■ ■ .>-■'

These two men may get their reward nest time. But if there is #no next time for them ? A case identical with that which I have cited occurred in the battalion I know best,' and the two men were killed the following week while performing the necessary but undistinguished task of bringing up the company's rations! _ It was then that tho colonel instituted what ■wo called .'' Hard Lines Cards." They consisted of well-printed cards bearing the regimental name and crest, and they certified in a few words that the \uidermentioned n.c.d.'s or man had performed his duty with gallantry and distinction at a certain place upon.the date mentioned, and had meritod thereby tho thanks of his commanding officer and of his regiment; and the" cards were signed by the colonel .y • These cards were >" not distributed among the men., Thoy/'had to be well earned—arid' the menr/fcnow it. Tho result was that thpy/jwere valued almost as highly &&'■■: $&cpTatiafxi. ' And they wero somotKing-Vto' send to the people at home—t&;let them know.!—(William Ridsdalo, JT in tho "Daily Mail." i '

(There is at leasf one "Hard Lines" soldier hailing from' the Ashburton .Cblmty—-Private Hydes, of Spreadeagle, a copy of whose certificate appeared in the "Guardian" early this year.")

: In. the House of Representatives, Mr Smi'tli (Waimarino) mentioned the imoortance of good postal services to promote close settlement of backblocks. Mr Anderson (Mataura) mentioned the Dovrer of "Brer Rabbit" to compel their grip of big territory. " Rabbits in Qtago broke up the large estates," he said. The owners found that thoy could not cope with, tho invaders, and therefore the land was cut up. Then •tho settlers of the smaller sections turned on the animals which had ■forced the close settlement,, and almost exterminated them on (-hone holdings.