Hospital Ship Fund

Te Aroha News, Volume XXXIII, Issue 15628, 31 May 1915, Page 2

Hospital Ship Fund

TE AROHA’S RESPONSE Despite the rain and coldness of Saturday evening, there was a large attendance of the general public at the firebell on the occasion of the open-air meeting called in connection with the Hospital Ship Fund, by the Mayor, Mr W. Norrell. A sum of over £250 was subscribed at the meeting, and it is expected that this sum will be still further augmented with contributions from the Piako and Ohinemuri Counties. The Mayor, in his opening remarks said that it might be thought strange that an open-air meeting should be called, but no hall was available that evening and time was short. He had received a telegram from the Mayor of Auckland who wished to ascertain the approximate amount of money and goods which would be donated by Te Aroha and district. By the district, Mr Norrell hoped to include portions of the Piako and Ohinemuri Counties, and he confidently expected that a sum of about £SOO could be guaranteed.

After speaking of the laudable ob* ject of the Fund, the Mayor questioned whether the country was doing its duty thoroughly, and giving the boys at the front the support they deserved. There were quite a number of young men in Te Aroha who. had not yet offered themselves for service, and he appealed to them if they had any loyalty to do so. The Defence Department had called for married men, but he did not think that the single men of the district would be shamed by allowing married men, whose wives and children might ultimately become a drain upon the State, to give up their homes to go to the war. He also appealed to parents to allow their boys to enlist, and to urge them to do so. The horrors of the dreadful atrocities of Europe were not yet felt in New Zealand, but unless the common enemy was defeated New Zealand would soon be no better off than poor little Belgium. Those parents —and there were a number in the district —who had four sons of. serviceable age, should at least willingly let two of them go. Mr R. L. Somers, stated that after reading the papers, the public was conversant with was required of them. There were hundreds of people who had not yet given in kind, cash, or any portion of their manhood to war Is the assistance of their country and Empire which were fighting for their very existenee. We, in New Zealand, said Mr Somers, are living under out ordinary conditions, but if (God forbid) we should lose, then under the German rule, properties and lives would not be worth having. Isn’t it worth a sacrifice to know that our battles are being fought nobly for as by the New Zealanders and troops of the Empire ? asked the speaker. He was sorry that there were people who had given nothing, but it would be an everlasting disgrace to them. He questioned whether £6OO, which was the amount sent from Te Aroha to the relief of the Belgians was representative of wealth of,J;he district, bnt said that another chance was now given to provide comforts and attention to our own boys who might be wounded. Whatever monies or goods were given, conclnded Mr Somers, should be voluntary, no man or woman should be asked to provide for their own wounded, the action should be spontaneous. Mr J. B, Thomas, said the people of New Zealand should rise to the occasion to support those who have in many instances given up good positions and years of study to fight for those at home against the common enemy. The least those who who were left behind could do was to give freely and make sacrifices to give the necessary comfort to the_ wounded.

Mr Strange said that he was sorry the Chairman of the Ohinemuri Council could not be present that evening, but the latter was busy organising throughout the goldfields. Continuing, he said, that the least that was expected of the enemy was that it would recognise the rules of War, and not take revenge on women and children. They were the authors of the most horrible deeds ever perpetrated in the history of the World, and New Zealanders now knew that their sons and brothers were fighting not only for the Empire, but for the whole of civilization. The blood of murdered innocents cried out for revenge, and while many were still volunteering in the cause, those who could not should open their hearts and respond to the grand invitation to subscribe towards a New Zealand Hospital Ship. Possibly some of the boys from this district were now lying wounded on the battlefields, and it was for them that the appeal was being made. He did not think there was anyone who could refuse to respond. Cr. J. M. Bell said the occasion was one on which every Britisher should expand his chest, and a'so his prcket. Besides giving ten pounds he personally was also going to give his services to the Empire, and had that day passed the medical examination While the soldiers were at the war he thought the least those who were peacefully at home could do would be to give freely to help to alleviate their sufferings. The cause for which subscriptions were being asked was a most noble and grand one, and the only creditable thing one could do was to pay, pay, pay. ‘‘ Money and Recruits ”is what we want, concluded Cr. Bell. While the speakers were on the

platform the town ckrk, Mr F. W. Wild, was busy receiving contributions, the sum rising from /T 69 to