WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 1921 THE CALL TO SERVICE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 14 September 1921, Page 4

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 1921 THE CALL TO SERVICE.

It is riot generally remembered that people owe a eexvice to the State in peace time as well as in war time, and especially in the years just after a war. The nation can look with, pride upon the magnificent service rendered by millions of its citizens throughout the Empire when its very existence was in danger. There was never a greater ■ response to a call to service,

probably because, the people realised the grave ißsues involved in the war. Through the spirit of service so nobly rendered by its people the Empire was enabled to* give its maximum support to the Allied Powers, and to save civilisation from its greatest menace. The prospects of a future challenge to

j civilisation by militarism may be considered remote, but it does not follow that there are not other and perhaps hardly less serious challenges being 1 made. The world has passed through, many great changes during the last few years, and whether we regard them as part of the evolutionary processes which are necessary, or whether we think of them as the , results of deep-rooted causes, the fact is that their rapidity has increased the dangers to the nations adopting them. la there has been a general sweep-ing-away of the past order of things, -followed by a terrible catastrophe T>B--cause of the awful failure of rhe theories which were prophesied t» bring about the millennium. How Lmuch better would Russia have been to-day if there had been a very gradual elimination of the evils of the Romanoff regime; if the State edifice had been Rebuilt brick by brick, instead of being demolished and left in ruins. there was sufficient restraint and good-..judgment among the peoples of Western Europe to prevent the terrible experiment "being .repeated, though there were occasions when it seemed as if extremism would secure sufficient support to challenge the moderate sections of the nations.

However^ the danger seoms Ut liare. passed, hut there is still a call to ser-' vice to which people should rvtpoud. . The economic difficulties faoing tlio | civilised world are very great, and i liowever well provision may ho made !to reduce those difficulties it urinevit-1

ible that many people will suffer great j hardships. The problem is one for the i people generally to try and help in Bolving, and it is in this way that wo mean that there is a call to service at the present time. Unemployment and distress are fortunately Kttlo known in ; this province bo well provided for by nature, but tlray exist to a consider^ ! able extent in tho cities; and it is not easy for those out of work to find the means of subsistence lor their wives and families at the present time. The raising of loans takeß time and is difficult, while the need for succour is urgent. A proposal which wo think i» excellent has been made by tho Wellington Civic League, which has* for its president Mr G. W. Mitchell, M.P. The league has invited people to give a day's wages or salary to Cho league, and businesses are also asked to contribute to provide a fund that may be spent on work for the unemplojed in Wellington. The proposal is in every way to bo commended, nnd is far preferablo to urging the Government to raise further loans, and w© hope that there will be a good response to the Civic League's appeal. It seems to ns that the appeal might well be made right through New Zealand, the money contributed to be ft straight-out gift. Suppose every worker in permanent employment gar© one day's or even half a day's pay, and every employer gave one day's profits towards tho fund, a very large sum of money would be available immediately for relieving serious distress which exists in the cities. We feel that tho nation does not give nearly sufficient thought to these services, which could be rendered without much trouble; yet they are very necessary for the good of the country. Who does not hate to think that there are women and children suffering from hunger and lack of adequate clothing? There are some quite genuine case* where the father and mother would accept any kind of employment if they could only find it. They do not deserve to suffer, and surely there are thousands of fortunate people in this j country who could contribute towards j their relief. The people of a district such as this mighi easily contribute a' few shillings each towards the Wellington League's Fund, and it may be j that some of our citizens will feel dfsposed to set' up a local committee Mo get into touch with the Wellington Civic League and gain some firsthand information of the extent of the hanfc ( ship being experienced by the unemployed. It might be possible for some of the unemployed to bo given work on farms in this district. In this direction there seems to us to be a definite call to national service at the present time, and we should like the whole Do- ' minion to make a great voluntary response: to help tho unemployed, each person who can contributing a share for the sake of tho unfortunate peo- I pie who through no fault of their own l , have fallen upon hard timeW j