PATRIOTIC FUND CONTRIBUTION

Southland Times, Issue 24162, 26 June 1940, Page 8

PATRIOTIC FUND CONTRIBUTION

To The Editor"

Sir,—ln this morning’s issue of your paper appears a report of a discussion about certain men employed on Scheme 13 work at South Invercargill who declined to sign over a penny in the £1 of then- wages to the Patriotic Fund. It records the action of the borough councillors in instructing the foreman to put these men off first should the borough have to put any men off in the near or distant future.

This, I think, is a grave injustice, for when the proposal to contribute was circulated on the job it was impressed on the men that whether - they signed or not was purely optional as it was not the function of the local body to say they must contribute.

As every one knows a person can hardly set a foot in the main streets of Invercargill today without spending two or three shillings on something or other for patriotic purposes, to say nothing of sundry house to house collectors. I happen to be one of the men in question and I protest against the stigma laid on us. In other ways I have contributed all I can possibly afford, and now it appears as if I am to have a threat of dismissal held over my head as a lever to extract a little more. Perhaps it may be of interest if I say that among the “shirkers” there are at least one returned soldier, another who was in camp during the last war and was discharged unfit, and another who has already volunteered for service this time but has been turned down. I wonder if the councillors who, passed this motion have done more or even as much and whether they are contributing Id, or even 2d, in the £1 on their incomes.—Yours, etc., FAIR PLAY. June 25, 1940.