RECRUITS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 146, 22 June 1915, Page 4

RECRUITS

TO THB EDITOR. Sir, — One cannot help but be puzzled over the anomalous position of the fight- I ing man. All the newspapers in the Dominion, and many public and private citizens, are urging men to enlist. It is safe to argue from this that the fighting man is his country's most valuable asset to-day On the other hand, we are paying the men who sweep our streets 10s per day, and the fighting man 5s per day. This argues that anybody is good enough for the firing line. Two contradictory points of view, but they hit home to many a man who is fit and willing and yet has dependents to think of. I personally think that wo "stay-at-homes" should get away from platitude and recognise as nearly as we possibly can (we can never do bo fully) the sacrifice every man makes who enlists There are a number of men to-day in the firing line who have left wives and children behind them. What sort of "time are these latter having with tho best allotment that tho soldier husband and father can leave behind him? Australia does the thing better. They give v 6s per day to the man in the ranks, and if he is a married man his wife draws Is 5d per day separation allowance, and 4^d per day for each child under 16 years. If the man in the firing line can offer the great sac-ifice of his life to the benefit of his felL ,v countrymen, surely those fellow countrymen can see to it that he is recompensed, as far as money can recompense, and that the dependents of our soldiers do not have to eke out an existence on the miserable pittance we at present allot for soldiers' pay. We are in this war, and in to win. Let us recognise the value of the fighting man, not only in words, but in fact, even if every one of us who remain behind have to sacrifice half our incomes in doing so. — I am, etc., HOPEFUL. Wellington, 17th June.