RETURNED SOLDERS CLUBS.

Free Lance, Volume XVI, Issue 871, 16 March 1917, Page 8

RETURNED SOLDERS CLUBS.

The Curious Ideas of Mr. Fowlds. npHE Hon. George Fowlds is an amiable and well-meaning man, than, whom none is more sincere in liis efforts to bring about social reforms..., But he is 'singularly lacking m his' grasp of the average everyday human character. Efts belittling of the work done by : the ...Returned Soldiers' 1 Clubs proves that Mr.-'Fowlds appears ■..to regard the' clubs as institutions more calculated to work harm than good to the soldiers. ■ These latter he wants to see desoldiedsed as soon as possible. ba w ™ do - if ' h y desoldierising the men Mr Fowlds wants them - - speedily and safely settled down in useful avocations. But/ surely. Mr. Fowlds would not have these men forget .the associations they formed when fighting for King and country,- nor have them relinquish that fine;spirit of comradeship which engendered by- • life at '• the front? For our own part we think one of the best features of the Clubs is the opportunity they offer to the men to retain and renew their old associations together ,a s a. class, exercising, and no doubt they; will,-.a' certain-influence in the political and: social world.- They have a perfect light to• do. as much a right.as t have the members-of 1 say, a Single Tax Association,- to exer- : cise their propaganda of that gospel according to Henry. George; which is so dear to the heart-of-Mr. ..Fowlds. ':■':-.' '■'■■ •- ':'* ■-: ; ---'" *■' : ; ■".'*■■.:'■ '■"■■'■* '■- ''" ': ; -.Mr. VFowlds's idea; of how '': a soldiers' club should be conducted is no doubt that it should be run .on goody-goody" lines. - The. returned soldiers stand in no more .need .of ."improvement" than do any .other class -in the community, .lhey seek and find at their clubs wholesome, recreation in cards and billiards," and other games, varied by excellent concerts. To/expect them to : spend their: evenings solemnly ; sitting round a ■room drinking cocoa and listening to improving discourses on Prohibition bmgle Tax, and Pacificism from- Mr' Fowlds and his friends is simply absurd- But the one great fault of Mr; fowlds as a public man is that he never ,ha s had any.sense of humour.