SICK AND WOUNDED FUND.

Nelson Evening Mail, 18 October 1916, Page 5

SICK AND WOUNDED FUND.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —I have watched with interest the correspondence through your columns regarding what is to 'be .done with : the Sick and; Wounded Funds, and °t present the state of affairs seem to. he a, little confused. I wish to point out the seriousness, if the conditions are altered from what were put before the people, when the fund was 'being- .subscribed: The motive of the subscriber which caused him or her to give to the fund-, T understand was ibased on conditions :—First: The money will he' given for the sole' purpose df . the* siclcarid wounded returning from the War.; Second: This fund, when collected -will be put into the hands Of men who - are known- to be capable of rightly looking after it, and must not go outside of" tho Nelson section, also to see that it is;fairly distributed to those SVho have- aclaittl to it, when the call conies. NoW, .a'sf t&b fund' has been raised, km those conditions it must of necessity >be distributed on those conditions, oiv it will- be .fat&l the future funds that- may be required: To t my mind it does not Seem a' difficult j matter te>. knoW how to rightly. use fchii I fund on those cionditions, " ( excfet>t tbAt it. cannot be arrived at, definitely,' till \V«» know who have a clairii .to" it.. Therefor® j that cannot be ascertained.. till, .JJe&cfe ■is declared. I believe, if an idea like I Haw here had foeeri put into, force from the people cduld not have Entertained doubt and forihrilate qute'riesag to what would 'be the destination of their givings. There have been and are still- these obstacles in- the ..people's ! winds. If this c&seoarinot 'b'e piit clear |to the people, astohow it is going- to he distributed, it will certainly paralyse the ' future ones, and' the results will he' . far short of what it might bo. Now the'Nel- - son fund has' [been raised for the sole benefit of the !sifck aWd- Wbftriaedp ,v for all those who have gone out of the boun. daries" fi'oin Where this . fund lias b&eh raised. Therefore every sick and "wounded man returning' to this section: ha& a, right to a share of this fundj according to the. disablement received,/ caus'ScT by the war. Now supoose, just for the present _mort)ent, the rules were laid doWri to : this .effect, all men! who have - returned 'to this section,, disabled in any "way," .must be examined, . each. ; niah and: the degree of'his disablement to be entered up in a ledger, he must immediately" Be helped -by the fund. The amount given to him now, and from, now on,' must bfe j ust sufficient • for the ■ help he' is in need of,' this amount givehi to hini each time must be put to his credit, and so oriy as the case may he. -Every disabled' pferson that comes. .back to thite section, must 3b& done likewise, right oni until tlie' "end. Tlien we have a record of all who liave a claim- then we will will -be in a position •tp class out- the portion- "each * division I should have to divide betWeen- their' like. For instance, a man slightly disabled, put, I S" to his name iri the book wriSn b^inff examined ; partially disabledy 'T" • totally, "T," and so on. It ibfi classified out, to. a good number if required; Then, finally, wheh the last man'\ha® returned-, the fundi could >be. out; to each division, then that portion to each man in that division, the record ,of what men have already drawn .from the fund can then -be deducted from the proportibri allotted- to t Mn, pyhich would -wind up the concern; cannot see anything to by .allowing it to over a- term of years. If interest -is the it Would be, hetter to- give each,. mail his share... Let him put. ii to interest thimself if lie will 'benefit; fry: it, he will do it. By doing- this,- it will settle cut out future 'clerical •. ejxpensesj • which oftten eat a big hol-e. ;, The: subscriber would be satisfied, "the man in need , of help/Would he getting help,' andi in all future times one man could not,' say, another has had his share, and with it. There is bound to be .friction," Which will cause unnecessary expensed iri the future if one condition) drifts to another, and a plan is not soon laid dowiii that will plainly ShoW the destinaof this fund. To get the faith and help from the people, We must be consistent to the ,stat?irtents .put, befote them when) asking for their help. For instances j a person said to me at the start of the Silver Bullet), "They say this money , is not to go outside of Nelson district, I dbubt it." I said, "I think we can take them at their word.', Hoimdreds of the subscribers are not in a position to attend the meetings held at Nelson, many do riot fljet- the news at all, and-it is impossible for every one to express, their views on this matter. Therefore, I "coflsider if we expect their help next time, we _ must liold fast, arid direct everyaction, froih the explanation given tlie subscriber, when he was called updn to help. I Icriow the -calling -will be in vain if we don't \vatcli these closely.- A deal of discussion often puts a contusing face .on, things, as well as creates hot words. All ,are one at heart to help the deserving soldier-to the Best advantage, and the energy that is being Utilised, is beyond expectation, as well As a satisfaction to kntiw the m6n in these hardships are heirig wnindi" th'tnight of. I am, etc., *• • i P. J. H.