LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16026, 18 September 1915, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

SANDBAGS FOR THE FRONT. Sir, — picture in Saturday's Herald of London ladies making sandbags for the front has suggested the possibility of Waiksto farmers collecting empty manure bags and sending them for the same purpose. Thousands, perhaps millions, could be sent in a few weeks if . they would be acceptable. One wav which I think would prove workable would be to invite settlers to bring donations of bags to their creameries. The managers could arrange to send them to some depot, close to the nearest railway station, where a committee could sort and bale them ready for transport. If the bags, which are now only waste product, would be serviceable the farmers would do their share towards collecting them for the protection of our boys at the front. Economist.

QUEEN CARNIVAL SCHEME. Sir, Every citizen of Auckland ought to be extremely grateful to Mr. Elliot for his outspoken words in regard to our Patriotic Funds. They are above everything a challenge to our Christianity. Says Mr. Elliot: "It apoears that the Queen Carnival is not in accordance with, the ideas of some people." This is absolutely true- The idea of one large raffle, or anything else of the kind, in this appeal for funds to help those who have so willingly given their lives for lis and our Empire, and the great cause for which our Empire stands, is simply horrible. And Mr. Elliot is quite right to say: "That being so, I wish those people would come forward and tell us how to get the money we must have." This, then, is a straightout challenge to every true-hearted Christian man and woman amongst us, to the men and -women whose Leader calls on them thus: " Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple." These men and women believe in the self-sacrifice of straight-out giving i And now. Mr. Elliot quite rightly sets j before them a moat appealing call, and i challenges them to answer it. I believe 1 they can and will. If the beads of the! various Christian bodies in Auckland will i but join together and do a little organising' they should be able to give to the Patriotic Funds Committee a far larger sum than any Queen Carnival can bring in. Ido hope the challenge will be taken n P- Chas. A. Tisdaia. Sir,l hare just read the account of the meeting with regard to the carnival proposed to be held in Auckland. In talking over the suggestion a few dave ago with people of various ranks and conditions 1 found that numbers entirely disapproved of it, and many strongly condemned it. he people of Auckland have already shown their great readiness and ability to help in all efforts for the benefit of our brave soldiers, and are still most willing to work hard and to make great sacrifices for our wounded heroes, but in the opinion of many of our best and most 1 liberal citizens it is a great mistake to introduce a scheme thai appeals mostly to ! the love of pleasure, and in so ie cases to the love of gain in our commimitv. Manv will buy shilling tickets, or a parcel of tickets, in the hope of winning a motorcar. or a house, or some other valuable object in the lottery, and will salve their conscience by saying they are helping a benevolent scheme, while "they are really i taking part in a gigantic gamble. When the war started an appeal was made for j contributions to the Patriotic Fund, and an immediate and liberal response j was made in Auckland, and as that fund I is not yet exhausted and no further public j request for money was made, the com- j munity did not know that more funds were ; urgently required. If a public appeal were i I now made for contributions to a pension fund for wounded soldiers the Auckland people, who are always sympathetic and generous, would undoubtedly make a prompt and liberal response, and our heroic soldiers would be spared the mortification of receiving what is iustlv their due from sources and methods which are open to very grave objections. In the midst j of such deep suffering and sorrow and loss ' how could we indulge in gaietv and frolic' and revellingsjwhich are inseparable from j a carnival? In order to make the pension , fund not local but provincial, committees i misrht be aTmointed in every town and village in the province, in order to receive ! and collect contributions for that noble • object—" Our Wounded Soldiers' Pension i Fund - Pbo atria. j