UNITED NATIONS APPEAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26780, 25 May 1948, Page 6

UNITED NATIONS APPEAL

Sir,—One reads of starving children and listens to appeals over the air. What about our own children and pensioners? No Minister of Health could truthfully say their rations are adequate. Old people with their thinning blood require more fats and sugars to sustain them. The doctors will say the children are getting their requirements, because it helps to keep their incomes assured. There must be hundreds of jars of malt and oil and thousands of codliver oil capsules signed for weekly. If the butter ration were lifted most of. that would not be needed and the country would eventually save. We were urged to plant potatoes down every available strip of ground we had. and so make more for Britain. Hungry people have always been in England and always will be. How can they look forward to a day of plenty when they are still paying the debts of the battle of Waterloo? They could help themselves by planting their parks and private estates in life-giving produce for a period of even 10 years. They would not have to ask for charity if they utilised their own grounds and all made an effort to combat want and hunger. I will not give to any fund outside New Zealand and would not ask others to do so until our children and old folk are better catered for.—l am, etc.. Pro Bono Publico. Palmerston.

Sir,—l would like to bring before your readers some points about starving Europe which I fear are not fully appreciated here in New Zealand. In this modern age we are all trained to face facts as they should be faced and that is face to face, therefore I hope my words will not appear brutal. If to any they do, I can only say they are not brutal enough. No words of mine can fully portray the tragic scenes in the towns and villages of Europe at present, where hundreds are dying daily from hunger. I wonder how many people in New Zealand really know the meaning of that dreaded word “ hunger ” —very few, I suspect. To them hunger is merely a feeling inside them, which very faintly reminds them that it is time to have a meal again. But what of those people in Greece, Austria, and other countries who have to ignore that reminder, for whom it has gone beyond a faint reminder, and is now a pain, a deadly pain that many will never recover from? When New Zealanders sit down to enjoy a meal do they even give a thought to the little children who in another land are starving? you may ask who these children are. They are the future leaders of their various countries; in 30 years' time they will be the controlling generation of Europe. How will they be able to lead a country if they grow up starved —then, also will their minds be starved. They will grow up with a grudge against the more fortunate people of the world; their several countries will become the centres of dissatisfaction and restlessness, they will be unable to lead a country in the way of peace for which we have all been striving for so long. , , . . ~ The remedy for these future troubles lies in the hands of all true New Zealanders and all those others in this world who have never felt, those deadly pangs of hunger. I say; “Don’t give just what you think you can afford, make a sacrifice and let the children of Europe grow Up grateful to you and all the rest of the world;"—I am, etc.. Continental Traveller. Y.M.C.A., Dunedin.

Sir, —I am sure nobody would doubt the worthiness of this appeal. We have heard a good deal >about everybody giving a day to save a child: Some of us are fortunate to be in the position to give that day. There are, however, people on lower salaries with family responsibilities- who could ill-afford to give anything approaching a day’s wage. I am prepared to say that those fine people who have contributed to. all other appeals will be those who will be giving to this appeal. I suggest that the Government make a grant and collect the money by taxation. Under that system the whole of the people would bear the cost on an equal footing.— I am, etc., F. W. Johnson. Kaitangata.

Sir,—l would like to know if Mr Semple is going to dispense with horse racing and turn proceeds into foods for starving children. I would also like to know why thousands of pounds were spent on centenary celebrations by local bodies at a time when such conditions existed. I realise that the position is only too genuine, but the same cannot be said of the powers that be, and until such time as a genuine lead is shown by Government members and local bodies, full co-opera-tion in the cause in question cannot be achieved. — I am, etc., W. Smith. Palmerston.