The Dominion SEPTEMBER 30, 1915.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2580, 30 September 1915, Page 4

The Dominion SEPTEMBER 30, 1915.

THE DUTY OF THE STATE . * — « . Economy in the administration of the. affairs of the country is so wholly; commendable at the present juncture . that it is with some reluctance. that wo offer the suggestion to tiici Government that even so admirable a practice ma-y 1)6 carried to unwise extremes. Ministers should scrutinise' more carefully than ever just now every proposal involving expenditure oi public money, and they should be specially careful also to. see that good value is obtained for, every. pound that, is 3pent. It should' not be forgotten, however, that there is a great? difference between rational economy., and the saving of money by leaving undone things that ought to be done. Also that the Government may- do a great deal of harm by "encroaching 011 the generosity" of private individuals in order to divest itself of any of its. legitimate financial responsibilities as regards the provision of all tllat is necessary to enable New Zealand' to do its full part in connection with the war. It is, for instance,' the plain duty of the State to bear the cost of whatever may be found necessary as far as the medical treatment of wounded soldiers is concerned. The reasonableness of this contention seems so obvious that the recent appeal of the Minister of Public-Health tor assistance out of the patriotic funds for. the equipmen of convalcscent camps must

have conic as a surprise to most people. It reveals a misunderstanding of the purposes lor which these funds have been collected. It was never intended that they should be used in the same way as the money obtained by taxation. The funds wore raised with the object of supplementing the provision made by the State for the sick and wounded— of supplying'additional comforts, of removing inequalities, and of' providing for special cases of hardship. In the administration of these funds those special circumstances would bo taken into account which would be excluded from considera; tion ,by the more rigid rules and regulations governing State action in such matters. The Hon. G. W. RuS: sell admitted that it was the duty of the Government to care for the wounded soldiers. Ho occupied an unassailable position when he stated that "it is this Government's work, and the Government will see that, sick or wounded, no.man suffers for lack of proper care and'treatment." One cannot understand Me. Russell's line of thought when he goes on to maintain that the Government had a- right to ask the Patriotic Committees to utilise the moneys en-, trusted to them for doing what the Minister admits to be the duty of the Government. He bases his appeal on the very unstable ground that he does not want to appeal to the Treasurer for a share of the War Loan. One would imagine that the New Zealand taxpayer desired to shirk the financial burden of the war. That is a- great mistake. The people of this Dominion, will cheerfully pay all the taxation necessary for the treatment of sick and wounded soldiers without encroaching on the patriotic funds. Any attempt to use these voluntary donations for such purposes as that indicated by the- Minister will tend to discourage private generosity, and it is to be hoped that the Government will not hesitate to pay out of thex public coffers the cost of all legitimate war measures and undertakings. It is satisfactory to know that the Government intends to make provision for the dependents of those men who .died at Trentham. 'No other course was honourably open to the country. Such cases are not provided for in the War Pensions Act, but legislation will be introduced this session to remedy this defect. No reasonablo distinction can be drawn between a man who sacrifices health or life while being trained at Trentham or elsewhere and one who is killed or wounded in actual battle or whoso health may break down in Egypt or Gallipoli. \The action of the Government in these matters should be guided by the broad principles of justioa and common sense, and by a generous recognition of the obligation the country is under to those of its- sons who- offer their lives in its service. A man once enlisted arid having passed the required medical tests and entered on his. duties as a soldier should be placed in a position to feel that he or his are entitled to whatever benefits the State may have provided in the event of death or disablement, irrespective of whether such misfortune occurs in this country, at sea, or in some distant land. There is no room for cconomy in such matters as these.