CORRESPONDENCE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 60, 8 September 1914, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE

LOCAL DISTRESS FUND 10 THE EDITOR. Sir,— Will you kindly allow me to correct a mistake which appeared in your report of the meeting of charitable societies which had been convened for the purpose of arranging help for the relatives of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force? Your report stated that a resolution had been carried to form a committee to work with the Charitable Aid Society. The resolution which the chairman first submitted to the' meeting was to the effect, that the societies present should form the National Guild of Service. I asked what the National Guild of Service was, and found that it was a proposed society without president or organisation of any kind. The societies represented at the meeting are all well known,' and have been organised and working for years— some lor thirty years or over— and have all the knowledge and experience necessary for dealing with women and children. I proposed that the meeting should form itself into a Citizens' League, under the presidency of the Mayoress, who was present. My resolution was lost on the voices, but, as I saw that it was voted for by all the "responsible representatives, I called for, a show of hands of those who were representing societies. The result was that the resolution was carried by 14 to 9. In speaking to my resolution I urged that work instead of charity shouH be given, and that, so long as there was a woman who could not get help in bringing up her children who would have to take the place of the men killed in the war, and while farmers could not get assistance in growing the crops which will help to feed the starving children in Britain, there should be no charitable aid given. Unfortunately, when I spoke I did not know that Her Majesty Queen Mary had started a League of Work for the women workers, on the lines 1 suggested for the Mayoress's Citizens' League, or_ perhaps Archdeacon Harper and Mr. Evans would not have been so determined to bring the wives and mothers of our defenders under tha Charitable Aid Board. I had the support of all the women representatives, who were present in my plea for work instead of charity, and also that the dependents of our Force should not bo brought in touch with the Charitable Aid Board in any way. Th« women who have sons and husba-nds in the 1 war should not bo branded as recipients of charity. My suggestion was that the delegates present from all the societies, including the women members of the Charitable Aid Board and leading citizens, should form a Citizens' League under the presidency of the Mayoress. The Mayor has already a committee, including the chairman of the Charitable Aid Board, for the distribution of funds. Another committee is, therefore, superfluous. My proposal would add a strong representative and experienced body oi women to the present committee. Why the chairman of the Charitable Aid Board and Archdeacon Harper should have objected to the Citizens' League, I cannot understand. We were invited by the chairman to meet the Hospital Board and arrange a committee for the Telief of distress due to the war. At the meeting only a, few members of the board were present, and this object was made subsidiary to the formation of a "National Guild of Service" — a scheme introduced ' to the chairman of the board by two lady citizens who desired to organise all the existing societies into one guild, and, apparently adopted by the board without reference to the societies themselves. Naturally we were all surprii^d, and found ourselves unable to evAi consider 1 such a proposal. A "National" Guild would have to be under the presidency of the Premier's wife; the Citizens' League under the Mayoress. At this crisis official 1 support and countenance is necessary to secure the confidence of the subscribers who, after the present and more urgent claims are settled, will subscribe liberally to any fund for tho benefit" of the relatives of the men who have offered their lives to the Empire. The resolution, which was reported a* earned, was not submitted to the delegates, but carried on the voices of a. few present ; many did not vote at all. Neither I nor the seconder of my resolution (Ur. Platts-Mills) nor others at the end of the room understood that the resolution had been put to the meeting until the chairman heeitatingly "declared, it carried. ' Had we done so, we would certainly have voted against the amendment — indeed, have endeavoured to persuade Mrs. Luke to withdraw her "'seconding." We had spent two hours in combating the very principle affirmed by the Archdeacon's amendment. There Is no doubt that the meeting, by a very large majority, disapproved of bringing this matter in any way under the control of the Charitable Aid Board, if the' Mayoress will call a meeting of the Women's Societies, which number, 1 believe, sixty, she will have no difficulty m forming a strong Women Citizens' Committee to co-operate with the Mayor's Committee, and also to deal with work for the workers on the lines of Queen's Mary's League. In the meantime, we know that we shall have the support of all the women's organisations, tho citizens, and the members of the Expeditionary Force and their relatives in urging my protest against having their dependents associated with the Charitable Aid Board. We all uphold the Charitable Aid Board in its work and admire the spirit of devotion to duty which prompts the members to give llveir services to the community, but tins case is. absolutely outside of their sphere, and must, for the honour of the city, be managed without attaching any stigma of charity to those who require- temporary assistance in this time of strain and stress. — ■ I am, etc., ANNA P. STOUT. 7th September. SENIOR CADETS TO THE EDITOR. Sir,:— ln fairness to other Senior Cadet non-coms., I think that we should be given a little duty to do. There are/ about eight non-coms, fiom one company at present carrying food from town to the island for the prisoners oE war. Our Territorials on duty there will bo 'needed shortly, so why not give all the Senior Cadet non-coms, a chance? It would be experience for all of v«, <md a daily routine of drill could be gone through. This is not a time for preference, as we all want to help our 'companies along. We Senior Cadets may be of Territorial age next year, so we must be ready. Hoping that something may be done. — I am, ate., BRITISH BORN. BANDSMEN TO THE FRONT TO THE MUTOR. Sir, — At the concert in the Town Hall, a few Sunday nights ago, Lieutenant Herd stated that eight members of his band hud loft with the first Expedition for the front, or as wo all now kno.v Samoa. I would like to point out on behalf of our other local bands, namely, Tramways, Jupp's, Central Mission. The Wa'tereidcrs. and tl'.e Salvation Army, thitt thoir iKcjpbo:-? have also loyally answered the call, the Mission Band alone

contributing twelve men. Our own sth Hegiment are at present minus their band, and I think that one of the local bands ought to be attached for duty pro tern. I merely mentioned the above tacts as the majority of our city bands do not come much into touch with the patrons of Sunday night concerts, as these concerts are given by only two of the above mentioned bands.— l am, W. HOWARD. 6th September. BANK NOTES TO THI EDITOR. Sir, — I have to thank your correspondent, Mr. H. Zucker, for pointing out an error in the report of my recent lecture. As a matter of fact, I did not use the phrase "for the first time" when referring to the legal tender position of bank notes in England. Bank notes are always legal tender in England, except at the bank itself, which is bound to pay gold on demand. Only once before the present occasion has the bank's obligation to pay cash on demand for note 3 been suspended, and that was on the occasion quoted by Mr. Zucker. The Bank Charter Act of 1844 has been suspended three times — in 1847, 1857, and 1866, but this was merely the suspension of the clatise relating to the bank's obligation to hold an exact equivalent in gold for notes issued in excess of the "fiduciary" issue, and did not relate to its obligation to pay" gold on demand for notes. — I am, etc., F. P. WILSON. 3rd September.