ANZAC DAY OBSERVANCE.

Evening Star, Issue 17957, 2 May 1922, Page 8

ANZAC DAY OBSERVANCE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I v.ms interested in reading 111 your ksuo of Thursday last the two views as expressed by Colonel T. Ah Al‘Donald (president of the local .Returned Soldiers Association) ami -Mr 11. F. sinn’ok (president of tho Employers’ Association) on the observance of Anzae Day, and I cannot for the life of mo see why any man, much less a. man of Mr fjuicovk’s slavuliu.c, should wish to cut out Anzae, Day. Tim motives he briny? forward, although worthy of thought, arc nevertheless hardly worthy of very serious cousidcralioii. I hat any man, employer or employee, grudges giving one day to perpetuate the memory of Anzae and (he sacrifices of New Zealand and national manhood in the, whole war is inconceivable. Nearly ICO. (SCO ol New Zealand's bc.-l. fought and died daily, while those who could not go enjoyed safety and prosperity, and now the glamor dies and we am back again in the ordinary run of thine? we find those who would if they could forget these tilings, ard deny scores of thousands an opportunity of paying undivided homage, to comrade, brother, friend. Of course. I note that Air Sineock does not wi.di to eliminate Anzae Day. only to hold it on •Sunday—the nearest Sunday lo the anniversary. I am of tiie opinion, sir, that 90 per cent, of the returned soldiers are in entire sympathy with Anzae Day. and nothing will alter their inflexible .determination to have Unit day—-April 25—set apart similar lo Anzae Day of 1922. 'there seems to be no law prohibiting the man from doing his garden or going shooting or doing odd jobs, but there can he a law framed to stop trains, pictures, entertainments, busine'ses, etc. When the epicslion of money is brought in, the losing of a day’s pay or the labor lost, Air Sincock belittles the sacrifices made. It should be. hardly necessary to remind him that a people’s mourning is not gauged by what it loses in pay. if the employers wish to cut out a holiday, why not cut out Anniversary Day or the King’s Birthday, or Dominion Day?—any other day less important; but don’t deny a mourning relative or a returned man Ids only opportunity of meeting together for an object that touches deeply. Any day hut April 25 will not do, and the IDS.A., supported by the great majority of returned soldiers and the sympathy of many of tho public, will see that it will not do, for the day itself probably conveys more to them than it does to Air Sincock. All who fell in tho Groat War gave willingly. Let our gratitude, bo magnanimous and spontaneous, not ruled according to what is in our parse or selfish greed.—l am, etc., Retch Ned Soldieh.