To the Editor of the New Zealand Herald.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 52, 13 January 1864, Page 4

To the Editor of the New Zealand Herald.

•Sir,—"While tho Colony is makinj; gigantic efforts to ensure tin- pacification of this Province, and j lavishing thousands of pounds towards tin's ohioct, ■ it is difficult to account for the apparent apathy that | exists regarding the comforts and wants of tin.- ' families of 11. M. forces in the field. i I feel sure that the true .-.fate of tliese poor erea- j tures is not known to those in authority—neither do ; 1 believe that any steps have been taken to ascertain : by what means they mango to exist, or something • would assuredly be done "to alleviate their dis- \ tress. Sir, it is time that this subject was enquired into. There are at tho present moment upwards of 2.it) ; families of British soldiers in tho town, and 100 more i will soon be addetl. | It is well known that groat difficulty is experienced '; in procuring a lodging in Auckland; what then must be the state of the poor women and chililron j when they land here, deprived of their natural pro- I tector, and without n soul to look after them. I tiiav i be told that this is the duty of the military authori- ] ties; but it is not so; they are powerless in the , rnatter, There is no accommodation available in j barracks, and the allowance of 6d. per diem to those ' married with leave, is insutheient to procure the I meanest habitation. The people of Adelaide, without any claims upon j their generosity, and purely from a noble feeling of j sympathy, have given a sum of monev towards the ; relief of the soldiers' families in Xew Zealand. | Surely such an example ought not to be lost on the j people of Auckland, who have ever shewn them- 1 selves ready and willing to succour- the needy and ' distressed. ' ! It is ;t pity that our Government lias not taken the j initiative in this important matter, and it is hoped j that this duty will not be much longer neglected. 1 : cannot help thinking that it would have been better had their attention been directed to the best means of improving the condition of the soldiers' families, rather than that of the friendly natives, whose loyalty in many instances is at least verv question- I able. ' j It will tell very much against us if it comes to such j a state of things that our soldiers' wives will be ■.rithout a roof to cover them ; fortunately, thev cannot quite starve, as the Imperial Government allow them rations ; but these require to be supplemented by something else, or we may expect to see the wile of a brave fellow perhaps begging at our doors for the means of covering her nakedness. Destitution may also drive a woman to worse than Pegging, Dut u P on that topic I forbear saving anything. It is hard enough for a soldier to be for months separated from hi 3 family, and undergoing trying | hardships, but the most trying of all is the thought I that his_ family is in want. "All his troubles, dangers, ; and difficulties, sink into insigniiicaneo in comparison I ■with that thought. j I know the general idea is that the soldier's wife and children are beyond want; but this, in many ; instances, is not true. A woman with her regiment, I in settled quarters, has generally ten or twelve men's ! washing, and occasionally the washing of an officer, { and this, with her husband's savings, is suliieient to ' enable her to live in tolerable eomfoit. But who i could do either in England or New Zealand if two- i thirds of hi 3 wages were suddenly i-ut off:- I believe j the wives of some of our militiamen, even, eau j answer this quebtion. This, and manv other little I point* peculiar to the soldier's family, are not i understood. I therefore appeal to the Colonial Government, and ! to tho people of this Colony—for whose ultimate j security and welfare the soldier's wife is now com- ; pelled to live in semi-destitution—to exert them- i selves to do something to improve tho condition of i the class to which I have alluded, and I have every I reason to hope the appeal will not be in vain. ' i Let a few rows of simply constructed cottages, or '■ huts, be built as homes for soldiers' families—relieve , them of the great expense of rent, and I feed j assured they will be able to support themselves ! unaided by—wdiat must be felt most keenly by every j decent and industrious woman—the hand of charity, i By doing something of this kind, the people will not ' only earn the soldiers' thanks and gratitude-, but give J the Home Govenimert a tangible, proof of their j appreciation of England's readiness to as.-ist «.* in vitr | troubles. " ! Ex Black-Cm. Auckland, 1 lth Jan., 180-1. [This is not the first, time that our columns have ''■ been open to this appeal. "We are told that there is > the New Zealand Patriotic Fund; but that fund, we i answer, is only for the wit/otm and <»•///;./«*, not the ; wives and children, of the men now lighting our battles. "We could with to see the matter taken up practically by those whose best right it is to do so— the. Auckland public, more especially the wives of our, wealthy citizens, and of the officers of Iter Majesty's service in Auckland—and we feed sure that then every town and Province in Xew Zealand will contribute its share.—Ed. X. Z. H.l J I