WOUNDED SOLDIERS' FUND.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 274, 4 November 1916, Page 5

WOUNDED SOLDIERS' FUND.

fTO THE EDITOR.] S : r.--Mr J. S. McLeod’s letter nrny be full of inteie:.t(ing) facts and the members of the War Relief Association may be all the bettor for having discussed same. Healthy discussion on llii- imitt'T may wake the Relief Association up, as it appears they intend to sleep on the interesting funds until we have all our men back. It would seem that this paltry £lOO.OOO is tlie beginning and the end of our contributions, ami per haps, Sir. it may be caused mainly through the wav these funds are be .-.g handled. Mr. McLeod talks of the generous response, yet, Sir, in a rich district, like this he says we have only £loo,ooo and some of that spread over a term of years. If this represents the spirit, and the limit of our generosity _ then God help tlie man who is offering his life. What for? Sir, to protect the wealth of Hawke’s Bay and Great Britain combined. It is idle for Mr. McLeod to suggest that we should wait. Generous as people have been they will be more so in the future if the trustees of these funds show them results right away. But what have xou done? In i> y humble opinion you are on the riuht road to make cadgers and wasters of our men who have returned. The Government will assist, up to £rot). Well, how far will that go in fencing and buildings? 'What is left for stock No. Sir, this quest iou has to be tackled properly. What rot. to say that after the war is over tlie last big lot of men may have nothing left ,of the fund to heln timm. Yon can take it from me. Sir, that when that time comes if the people or the Government do not realise their indehtedness to these men and treat them properly, the men themselves will deal with the. queslion : their mothers, sisters and sweethearts will assist, and then look out for taxation, and J hope a better Government than we have. l'he per- ! manently injured and men unable to earn a living wage have to be provided for by the Government, Wo must not lose sight of that, and it is not the duty of the trustees to spend a shilling outside that, excepting ' granting temporary assistance until j the soldier’s case has been dealt I with by the Government. J refer to men entitled to a pension. In reference to what the Government will do about men going on the land is superfluous, as no Land Board will turn down a soldier who lias his discharge,if he can find the money to go on with. The sick and the sorry, the widows and the orphans, and those that cannot. _ help themselves are in no way obliged to have the charity now offered. It. is our .Stale’s duty, and we must see that the Govcrnmen look and look well after all those mentioned, and not put, their responsibility on the shoulders of gem-re”. gn.-v.. 1 am not { one of those that think first of advertising themselves, so 1 ask you, 'Sir, to he good enough to publish this letter. I have no personal gricv. [ance to rent on any .me. but as 1 'am unable to go to the front as yet, I am going to do what 1 fit to assist the man who has done his bit for for us. and I sav that we should spend their money, put the men on [their feet before they drift, and , when more men return more money [Will have to bo found and will be found if these trustees can show the i people the result of their £lOO,OOO |by making our boys producers and therefore a valuable a-e-ets to help the others as they return. I could j show these trustee;; a scheme that if I handled properly would meet with success, and you would have no trouble in getting funds to carry it out. But, Sir, I am too modest at present to even suggest anything to these gentlemen.— 1 am. etc.. _