INEQUALITY OF SACRIFICE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10064, 31 August 1918, Page 11

INEQUALITY OF SACRIFICE

To the Editor “N.Z. Time..” Sir,-,-I am vexed in spirit when I read in newspapers in the library the decisions given by various Military Boards, and for every instance I quote in this letter I can give von proof. It is impossible to get equality of sacrifice, but in many cases the sacrifice now is so one-sided that' grave and .serious discontent is being shown by many who have loyally supported the Government and the licfence Minister through the terrible crisis imposed upon them by the war. •An. Auckland paper of Friday. last contained a report showing that an honourable member of the Legislative Council appealed on behalf of the manager of a land syndicate, of which the legislator was chairman, and the plea was sustained on the ground that a. competent manager could not be found to takb the called-up one’s, place, and the manager was exempted. ' A New Plymouth paper of 'this week, contains a. report of the Borough Council, and it is very interesting reading. It showed that a payment of .£66 10s 6d was made by the borough to a Mr Black for five days’ service, ■which . involved giving evidence before the Military Appeal Board for the purpose of obtaining exemption ’of the borough’s electrical tramway and carshed employees. The exemption from military service was granted in each, .case. Three members-of the-legal profession have been given long , sine die exemptions on the plea that .they had a lot of Maori ; land, transactions in hand, and lliC3 r would take some time to clear up.’ ‘ I think-they-will see the war over before their, taihoa transactions are completed. ■ln the foregoing cases, which. I have quoted, and which are authentic, I do not believe any of the‘exempted persons have made any military sacrifice at all.

Now, sir. let me put the other sidei I know where the only son on a farm. was ordered to camp, notwithstanding" the. fact that, his father- is- old, feeble and blind in one eye, and the mother is old and feeble.. Yet, within some miles from the6amefarm, a young man with no one on the -place but -. himself, ■ is exempted. Again, A. has four sons,-three were in the--firing zone, two have been killed, yet .thA-iifo-orth.. is in camp; B.'„ a business man, had three sons', all at the war, owing to the ill-health of his wife, and being unable to get the use of his son* who helped his business, ho has had itclose down; C. had three sons and seveE nephews; at the war, five have been killed and threv wounded, yet his.only oonneotion with a- delicate wife, ,is in camp. Now', sir, I do not find fault with the exemption of Laidhvw Leeds, against whom an-outcry was raised. He has lost two brothers in the war. Exemption, principally, in my opinion, should only be. granted when services have been made .'similar to the cases I have just instanced. In conversation with a memiber of one of the busiest Military Appeal Board's a few months ago, I gave a num"b'er" of insta.nces of the inequality of sacrifice'that was going on. He admitted such was the case, sayin ? that "it wa« a concatenation of circumstances-." That was hardly-as satisfyin" as. AValt'Whitman's famous hnes: "In battle the bravest rush on and ar« Skilled-others are heroes-'—l am. etc., -.-...,, TAUJIAEUNTJIr August 24th, 191 S.