CORRESPONDENCE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16216, 20 May 1918, Page 8

CORRESPONDENCE.

♦ COMPULSORY SUBSCRIPTION TO WAR, LOANS. TO TDK ZDITOK Ol? "THK FIIESS."' Sir, —Your article on compulsory subscription to War Loans in iast Wednesday's issue states that liability is imposed upon all payers of land and income tax, no matter how small tho amount. Does that mean that the exemption of £700 provided in the 1917 Act is cancelled, and that there is no exemption whatever? There are cases where men arc working almost entirely upon borrowed capital, and under the present Act the land tax is computed upon tho unimproved value, including all borrowed money. I know an instance where land tax was £2-1, and under tho n£w Act is increased to £116, and m such a case the compulsory subscription to the loan becomes a real hardship, as tho legal liability in such a case is altogether beyond their means. Will you obligo by stating the present position moro fully, especially with regard to exemption (if there is any), and also what tho legal liability amounts to?— Yours, etc.,

SUBSCRIBER. TWO have referred to this letter in our leading columns. —Editor. "The Press."]

SfIOULD THE STATE TEACH RELIGION? TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS."

Sir, —The evergreen question above is up agafn. When Tennyson soliloquised about tho little flowor in the crannied wall: "If I knew you, root and all, I would know what God is," he was voicing a cry for light. Doubtless, sir, this intense earnestness about denominational schools is Goothe's plea for "Light, more light." Your correspondent is wrong when he says that tho kulturod Hun has eliminated God. The trouble is that their idea of God is not tho same as ours; and we havo no standard. So long as we can't agree on somo fundamental basis to teach, wc had better leave it alone.

The modern astronomer is not bound bj the old theories of the fixity and flatness or the earth. There are too many Lot's wives amongst us. We are indeed reaping what we have sown. —Yours, ctc.,

PETER TROLOVE

SINGLE MEN AND ACTIVE SERVICE. N TO THE EDITOR OF "THE FBESS."

Sir, —Every pc-rsou not 'grossly selfish, and possessing a well-balanced mind, will endorse the views expressed by tiio members of the Dunodin Military Service Board, as reported in your issue of to-day. Ever since the Second Division men have bosn called 'up in the ballot, a feverish agitation has sprung up in certain quarters against sending such men to the front, and the Government have been bombarded with requests to scour the whole country for First Division reservists, and have these despatched at all costs. It has even been demanded that all single men turned down should be re-exam-ined until some doctor passes them as fit. 1 agree with the statement that thero are some single men who labour under far greater hardships than many married men, but for purely solfish reasons there are people who would send all single men out of the country, no matter what injustice might be done tp them, to the State, or to their relatives. When one is a witness to such almost inconceivable callousness, is it any wonder that one is forced to ask the question, Where does tho patriotism we have heard so much about come in? I may bo a scoffer, but I am inclined to regard a great deal of tho socalled patriotism in our midst as selfinterest, absolutely.—Yours, etc., JOHNNY RAW. May 17th. A PRISONER OF WAR. TO THE EDITOR OP . "THE TRESS." Sir, —Enclosed in letter dated March 23rd, received, to-day from A. W. F. I McCurdy, of Annat, now on duty with the 33rd Reinforcements in Eugland, was tho attached clipping (taken from the "Chroniclo"), the writer of which, W. Robertshaw, was, I believe, posted missing about eight ago, and later, "as result of Court ef inquiry, killed in action." Private MeUurdy thought it would interest his friends to know that he was a prisoner of war in Germany. If space permits would you please print, thus giving them an opportunity of seeing his letter.—Yours, M. FERGUSON. Annat, May^loth. ["Extract.] "January 17th, 1918.—1 have received your kindly letter of the 19-11-17, and I cannot speak too highly of the gratifying way in which wp prisoners of war from New Zealand are being thought cf by the folks _at_ Home. My correspondence is only limited, so I cannot say what I should like to, but my thoughts will always be with you. Thanking you kindly.—Yours, W. Robertshaw."

SOLDIERS' MOTHERS. TO THE EDITOR OF "THE TRESS." Sir, —The writer read with sympathy and interest tho letter of a "Mother" in Friday's paper. It was an astounding piece of news to learn that a soldier's mother, if a widow, got 10s a week to live on.

That allowance may be lawful, but it is a piece of the grossest injustice, and I suppose those devoted mothers who encouraged their sons, and in many cases their only son, to put honour and duty before self interests, have to appeal to the Patriotic Society should they find themselves in financial trouble. Truly suclv& state of things is enough to make the angels weep. The widowed mothers never got up meetings and passed resolutions to the ' effect that they would part with their [ sons when awarded ample compensa- ; tion. No, the call of duty was enough for them; they gave in many cases their all, and with a noble spirit of resignation. This is a time when nations and individuals are being weighed in the balance, but alas, many are found wanting.—Yours, etc. f A PATRIOT. May 19th. [Our correspondent encloses 10s for the ' Patriotic Society.—Ed. "The, Press."] I