CORRESPONDENCES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLV, Issue XLVIII, 18 December 1914, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCES

POLITICS AND THE WAR. (To the Editor.) S ; r _Tt seems'hard to write or think of elation matters after read.ng m your pLer to-night of the German attacks on. Kind. But it is this that has decided n e to venture a few words on the politick situation. To the ordinary elector it IL,L qnrh an extraordinary thing thariner!ncluding Mr Massey .and S« Joseph Ward, cannot siafc their. pettv defences in a crisis like the present and form a party to work for the good of all Rurelv it shows very little real love of country (v»hen parties -being «o evenlv balanced) that neither will do the obviously right thing, and form a coalition ministry and carry on -the business of the country during* at least the time the war lasts. lancy the ntte madness of plunging the country into all this expense'and turmoil of another election From the standpoint 01 the ordinary person it is unthinkable—for it seems that parties may. a nd probably will, be in the same position, at the end of another election—and then what can be done ' It seems to me that the press ot the Dominion should speak as with one voice and demand in the name of the people that in this time of stress and strain that we be not subjected to another election. Rather spend the money it would cost, in' sending lecturers round the country to stir up our young men to volunteer to defend our Motherland, which so sorelv needs out help now. There are so many who could go, if they only would, and "surely they only need to realise that our very existence depends on the men who are willing to give thenliver,, if Heed be., to keep us from becoming a colonv —belonging to Germany, How could, we live to have the Kaiser as our King? from which, good Lord, deliver us. I am, etc., A N-rfW ZEALANDEK.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Being a sympathiser of the Belgian Relief Fund* I would Hkie to bring under vour notice the way in which the £7 ls*4d, the proceeds of No-License debates, was acknowledged, bv- the collectors of the above fund. .The £7 ls_4d was made up on two occasions—first £2, second £5 Is 4d. The first item of £2 was subscribed on the 'water waggon as follows: Mr Burton, junr, was asked to •vadress the meeting, which invitation he accepted, and on' finishing his remaiks he ."s-k-ed a certain gentleman on the to cover £l, and the proceeds to go to the above fund. The particular man did not accept . the" challenge so Mr Carlisle put up £1; thus the £2 were subscribed by Messrs Burton and,.Carlisle. And I think, in'failness to,. these two gentlemen, some special mention shoald have been.made in oar local press, not merely acknowledged as proceeds of. No-License debate. Secondly, >lt Burton accepted Mr Carlisle's challenge to debate the No-License question ' in ' the Temperance Hall, and so as the Belgian Relief rtind would further benefit he (Mr Burton) arranged lor a silver coin admission, which increased the above fund by £5 Is 4d. Now, Sir, I,read the papers, and cannot come to any other conclusion than that the No License: party have the credit of collecting the £7 Is 4d. And I maintain that Mr Burton was the gentleman to receive thanks for the following reasons: First, he asked the gentleman on the -water waggon to cover his was the means of raising the £&; secondly, he accepted the challenge to debate the NoLicense question in the Temperance Hall, and arranged for a silver coin admission, which gave a further increase of £5 Is 4d to the fund. I think)'the raising of such a substantial surri reflects great credit on Mr Buxton, for if he had kept in the 'background the fund would have been minus £7 Is 4d. Thanking you for your valuable space. , , ' im, etc., i: BELGIAN. (No credit va. .'./ en to either party separately. The v-uoeeds of the debate, etc, were published ia the usual way.)