SHEEPOWNERS AND BRITISH SEAMEN FUND

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 273, 12 August 1920, Page 5

SHEEPOWNERS AND BRITISH SEAMEN FUND

Sir,—l liope you will kindly again per- ; mit me through your columns to reply., to numerous inquiries' received with regard to the future of this fund, and to state that in accordance with my promiso often made during the last-two years, a meeting of all contributors to the fund will be licld at 10 a.m. in the Parliamentary Buildings, Wellington, on. Wednesday, August 18. I earnestly' hope that contributors in all parts of tho Dominion will appoint representative men to be present at this meeting, when it is intended to appoint permanent- boards of management of tho fund in New Zealand and London, so that when the money ™ available no time will be lost in starting on investigations as to tho financial position of the dependants of the sailora' of tho sister services who died or were, wounded in our defence during tho great war. I do not think that any woolgrower can think or say that the contribution of approximately 20s. per Balo| will be too large a "thanks offering" to' make for the 'services which these bravo men rendered to ns by maintaining command of the 'high seas during that period.. It cannot ever bo forgotten in New Zealand that but for these services, cheerfully and nobly rendered at tho cost of nionv lives and much suifering, wo could not We sent one bale of wool nor one carcass of mutton out of tliis Dominion' for four years, nor could wo have had' any imports from across the seas. Nor,' incidentally, could we havo s6nt help to our kinsmen fighting! to 'the death for the Empire on many fronts. The war is' over and wo liave won, but the sufferings of the dependants of sailors lost or wounded at sea, are not over. They aro lifelong, and this fund has been est'at>lislied to minimise, as far as it is pos-e-ible to minimise, euch sufferings. 'When'the sc'hcme was first initiated, 1 received' letters Iron) many woolgroivers stating' that whilst they sympathised with our t aims they objected to signing blank - ' cheques. I confess I thought there weirs some grounds at tho time for this argu- ' mont, but none 'such exists now. When the amount to be received is known, ana is shown to be about the modest siim of one pound sterling per bale, J. appeal . confidently to these gentlemen now to join up with their fellow woolgrowers and share in tho effort which is being 'made to relieve the distress of the dependants of our seamen,'but for whoso sacrifices none of tho prosperity that this Dominion has enjoyed during tho : war would have been possible.—l am, etc., EDWARD NEWMAN. Wellington, August 10, 1920. DISABLED SOLDIERS

kSir,—Most people will have read with" pleasure the remarks OMIIO Rev. Robert son Orr concerning the treatment of our ■unfortunate returned disabled sAldicrs. , Would it not be possible for Parliament to give particularly ' blind soldiers tlio right to travel free on any tram or train in New Zealand? The Government have done the right. thing, and - they ' should compel all city corporations to grant the same privilege-lam, etc., SYMPATHETIC. Wellington. August 9, 1920.

SCHOOL AND NATION Sir,—Many must be impelled to ask seriously, What is tho school, doing for: : tbte nation to-day? Both theory and practice of our education system seem vitally at fault. We find schools outside the national system flourishing and mul---. tiplying, though not without faults of: their own. We find youths dishearten-' ed, parents supplanted and discouraged, employers disgusted, arid all more or: less apathetic, not to say pessimistic. 1 The ancient guild taught in a less dry/ 1 and uninteresting, and a nioro practical, l and, within its limits, efficient way, the' whole youth within the scope of its bro-*' therhood. Times have admittedly. chang- : ed, and our opportunities are vastly.su-' t perior; hut how will future fenerationsindgo us? Not even, fine buildings, high-; ly-paid teachers and' professors, nor wav-! ing or saluting of flags—heartily as we may approve them—can put life into the, . frame of our 6ystem. It is well to be, reminded of tho need of economics, citi-. zenship, and ethics in those days, whoa' workers' education associations aro springing up. Can our statesmen not read tho, signs of the times? Tho nation is tho true "one big union," and cannot suffer' a competitor within it; but what the nation is unions are making it to-day,; and not our national education system.' If our present legislators cannot rise to the occasion while they liavo opportun-,- ; ity. then sure as fato their opportunity' • will quickly pass. There aro a few litfe and there who see "tho one true lighti" but many aro on tho watch to smother its first glimmer. So in the union, win. the nation, so in. tho League'of Nationn j! but still let tjio fow press onward—"to- ■ morrow comes tho song."—l am, etc., EVELYN MACDONALD. Te Horo, August 8, 1920. [Owing to pressure on our space th« above letter has been eondcmscd.]