PATRIOTIC COMMITTEES IN DISAGREEMENT.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15606, 2 June 1916, Page 5

PATRIOTIC COMMITTEES IN DISAGREEMENT.

TO TIJK EDITOR OF "THE riIESS." Sir, —In a. recent issue there appeared i report, taken from the "Marlborough Express," of a discussion at a meeting af xhc Marlborough Patriotic Committee, which is calculated to spread abroad an entirely wrong impression of the attitude of 'Kaikoura people towards outside Patriotic Funds and Committees. As the military headquarters of this area are at Blenheim, the men enlisting from this district are required to report at that place, hut apart from this, the sympathies of the district incline rather towards Canterbury than towards Marlborough. The workers on soldiers' comforts in this district, being strongly of opinion that any comforts should be- for the benefit of all, irrespective of the district from which they hail, hare sent forward case after case of comforts (the school children alone having- collected over £50 and worked 111% that value of material), and hundreds* of pounds in cash, but through Cnristchurch, and for the benefit of any of the boys who may require them. ' Herein lies'the crime — these things did not go through Blenheim. I Ever since the inception of the patriotic movement, the Marlborough Committee has adopted a high-handed attitude towards Kaikoura. which will certainly not make Kaikoura people sympathise with appeals from the Marlborough Committee to join them._ In the first place, when the original draft of the Expeditionary Force left Kaikoura, it was under orders to report at Nelson. When they reached Blenheim, t-ho Patriotic Committee there insisted on equipping them with horses, etc., and then coolly sent along a request for a refund of disbursements on their behalf amounting to about £120, which, though the action 1 of the Marlborough Coinmitteo, since : Kaikoura was not consulted, was sub- ! jected to strong criticism, was duly j paid. I Again, when Christmas comfort bags j were being got together for the boys at the front, the Marlborough Com- 1 mlttee, without consulting Kaikoura, j despatched bags for the Kaikoura men, j and then sent along a claim for pay- j tnent at the rate of 12s or 14s a bag, • leaving the Kaikoura people in the position that, while they had contributed some 20 comfort bags through Christchurch, but not specially earmarked for the Kailioura men, they | were, called upon to. pay again. The > 1 Marlborough Committee _ ample time to communicate with Kaikoura, asking for co-operation, but entirely ignored the Kaikoura Executive till after the bags had been sent, and then claimed payment. Had they asked for co-operation, all the bags required would have been forthcoming, and the local Patriotic Fund would not have been depleted l)v some £30. - On no occasion has the Kaikoura

Executive been consulted by the Marlborough Executive before a liability on its behalf has been incurred, but though such high-handed action has been much resented, all claims havb, up to the present, been duly paid. The Kaikoura Executive has, however, informed the Marlborough Committee that no further claims ""'ill be paid unless authorised before the liability i 6 incurred.—Signed, oil behalf of the Kaikoura Executive. W. McARA. H.- LEON WILSON. 'I EE TEPID BATHS. TO TIIE KIJITOIt OV "THE I'IIESS." Sir, —Seeing in your paper this morning a letter signed "Disgusted," it would be very interesting to know what this person is disgusted about. Is it the fact that the Council's official lady instructors arc not bein«; advertised sufficiently er dees he want them drawn into the 'trouble so that they may be advertised? Is he annoyed that the Lath Committee will not hold a public enquiry • into the management? It would be also interesting to know if it i; the wife of the caretaker, the lady attendant, or the other lady that ha 6 been teaching there for some years, that he refers to when he snys the lady is a competent swimmer, and teacher, and veiv popular, and how manv ladies have been taught by the Council's attendants since last November when they first started teaching Mvimraing?—yours, et'j., j BATHER. ! June Ist.