SOLDIER AND CIVILIAN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23504, 15 November 1939, Page 15

SOLDIER AND CIVILIAN

Sir, —I am given to understand that books from the Auckland Public Libraries, when considered to be no longer in a fit condition for public circulation, are fumigated and distributed to military camps. Such action by a public both* is interesting in that it is tvpical of "official attitude to those in our camps. Anything, although not good enough for the civilian public, is good enough for those in camp. A similarly typical action comes from our Government with its proposal to spend some £70.000 building a new broadcasting station. This from a Goveminent which will not or cannot find the money to feed its soldiers sensibly and correctly. I maintain that nothing is too good for those volunteers in camp already. The average civilian, particularly 'those permitted to earn weekly wages running into double figures, building military camps, is in a position to purchase his reasonable requirements of fresh fruit. And 3 T et we find that fresh fruit is entirely absent from the food supplied to the soldiers in our camps. Those soldiers in camp now, and it is important to remember that they are all volunteers, have given up and agreed to give up considerably more than the average civilian realises; and for this reason alone they deserve far better treatment from a Government which has again shown its incompetence in its provision for those who have volunteered to serve their country. Ex-Camp.