HILL 60.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16375, 5 May 1915, Page 8

HILL 60.

AN AUCKLANDER'S DISTINGUISHED COMMAND. (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, May 4. A young Auckland officer, Lieut. F. A. liollaby, has been in tho reeewt heavy lighting in Flandeis. According to a cablegram received by Mrs Hellaby from ono oE her other sons, Liout. Hellaby was for six days commander of tho defence of Hill 60. The message stated that ho is fit and well. Hill 60 is the important strategical point "■south-oast of Yprcs -which was recently captured by the British-after severe righting. A subaltern of tho 3rd Auckland Regiment,. Lieut. Hellaby arrived in England in the second week of tho war, and having offered his services to tho War Office, he was given a commission in tho Ist Devonshire Regiment, and has been on active service over since. His two elder brothers are with tho Royal Field Artillery. QUEEN MARY'S NEEDLEWORK GUILD. The director of tho London Evening News branch of Queen Mary's Needlework Guild lias communicated with us suggesting tho formation in this city of a branch of the guild, or, at least, the association of residents of this city with tho .guid. As its naino virtually implies, tho guild, which was called into being by tho Queen, prepares and distributes articles of clothing and other comforte among thoeo whose needs at tho present time are heavy—among Belgian refugees, soldiers and sailors, and their dependents, hospitals, homes, and women and children suffering through the war. "Q.M.N.G." badges, tho design of which was chosen by the Queen, and of which a specimen has been forwarded to ue, are supplied at the rate of 6d each, phis pestago, to any individual who undertakes to send garments to tho Evening News branch in Lttadon, or to any guild branch of 25 or more members, at tho cost of 4d each, plus postage. Tho badge is intended, not as a mere trinket, but as a sign of personal (service. THE MAORI CONTINGENT. Writing from Cairo on March 28, a member of tho First Expeditionary Force says:—"The great event of the week V»is been the arrival of the Maoris and the Third Reinforcements. The Maoris, though they havo been hero only ,two days, havo created a small sensation. The Natives don't know exactly what to make of them, but are learing rapidly. The English ' Terriers' aro equally in the dark. Ono of them called a Maori ' A black ,' and was promptly knocked clean through a plateglass -window." AT THE FRONT. Conspicuous amongst the Port Chalmers boys now serving or en route for the front are several sons of Mr and Mrs J. Campbell. The eldest son, Dugald, left a good position as inspector of machinery at Buenos Aires in order to volunteer for active service in the navyj and is now serving in the North Sea fleet. His younger brother, William, also an engineer, was unable to get into the navy, but has joined a transport plying to tho Mediterranean, and a third son, Norman Campbell, who is also an engineer, is at present at Trentham undergoing military training priot to leaving for the seat of war. JOTTINGS. While speaking at tho meeting of ' tho Dunedin Presbytery yesterday in regard to matters at the camp at Trentham, the Rev. J. Kilpatrick mentioned that a cornet and an accordeon would be of great -value to tho troops, and would also assist very greatly in carrying out the religious services of the church. Mr Gerald Foil,, a well-known Wellington solicitor, has enlisted in the forces to be trained for services abroad. He is to go into camp as a sergeant (on probation). There are nine members of the Royal family on active service. They are the Prince of Wales, Prince Albert, Prince Arthur of Connaught, Princes Alexander and Leopold of Battenberg, the Duke of Teck and Prince Alexander of Took, and Princes Louis and George of Battenberg. Prince Maurice of Battenberg was killed in action. Mr E. C. Holmes, of Masterton, has been appointed by Mr Frank Kitchener as official representative for the Belgian Rofugoe Food Fund for New Zealand. Mr Kitchener is a brother of Lord Kitchener, and is secretary for this fund in London. A few days ago Mr Holmes received the following cable message from London:—"Kindly convey our thanks to tho peoplo of the Wairarapa district for their magnificent gift of £150; also sheep, per Otaki and Woirnate, received. Storage was .given by Sir Montague Nelson, and we are feeding upwards of 1000 refugees daily. We require urgently cheese, butter, and jam.'\ Mr Holmes, in a. covering letter, states that a 601b sheep provides a ration for 240 people a day. Lieutenant-colonel H. C. Barclay (of Waimatc. New Zealand), who joined the Russian Red Cross (sth Kauffmanski Hospital, attached to the Bth Russian Army), has been through strenuous work. In the course of an _ interview with a correspondent of tho British Australasian he mentioned that the number of lady doctors in Petrograd was enormous, and very large hospitals there, durinrr war time, were completely staffed by lady doctors, with perhaps a single male representative;. Women were very largely responsible for; the organisation of tho huge and well-managed Russian Red Cross Society, and Russian women were found in Ml sorts of business occupations. They can do all the farm work that is necessary. SOLDIERS' WIVES. TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —Pray, what have soldiers' wives done that no sympathy is to be extended to them, no praise given to their patriotism? Sympathy and praise for mothers, sisters, sweethearts, fathers, and brothers, but the wives are ignored, alike by you and theMinister of Defence. .Yet, theirs is tho greatest loneliness and the greatest sacrifice, theirs tho greatest responsibility, with husband and father away. Strenuous work is theirs, to train their 6ons and' daughters, whose fathers and mothers aro neither shirkers nor cowards, to bo the leaders of the future. With a keener, deeper senso than unmarried women or men can realise of what it would mean to' their children and aged parents if the Germane obtained supremacy, these women, knowing that every real man is needed, and that tho strong, healthy, clean-living men whom they are proud to call husbands, are tho men who will sustain the morale of the army, have allowed them to obey the call to arms. They faoe calmly the half-sneering, contemptuous question of some of their acquaintances, "Why-did youi let your husband go? I wouldn't let mine." But they have a right to demand consideration and esteem from those less ignorant, of what the war means Is the problem of providing for a married man's dependents so complicated? To a woman's simple mind it is quite easy. Tax the rich man and woman, especially the bachelor arid spinster, as Senator Pearce recommends, and let them provide for the families of those who are fighting for the property, the lives, the freedom, and tho honour of everyone in this country. Many married men are eager and willing to go if provision can be made for their families. Why check patriotism? Tho wave will spread from married to single men who ougiat to go. One cannot expect the younger men to feel the call like an older man who knows what his wife and children would have to endure should Germany win tho supremacy. Many moneyed people, and those in authority, are not doing their share in this matter. At Home married men are not refused, in the army, and better provision is made for their dependents than in New Zealand. English firms help their employees bv keeping positions open, and. often employing wives or women dependents of a volunteer at tho samo salary. Tho British Board of Trade declared that " every woman who, by working herself, sets a man free to fight does public service." Here, the wife who wishes to work is looked at askance, and even refused employment for which she is qualified by a public body which prefers to employee young daughters of rich men—indeed, is told emphatically, "Your husband had no right to volunteer, thinking wo would heln you to get work." Nevertheless, in spite of this quite unnecessary discouragement, and the fear of financial stringency with the increased cost of living, wo wives are proud of the men who reluctantly left us to fight for their country and their people, and would not recall them if we could. They trusted New Zealand, as Captain Scott trusted his counriy. See to it that their trust is not misplaced.—l am, etc., A Soldier's Wife.