THE HOME FRONT

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 66, Issue 5603, 9 April 1943, Page 4

THE HOME FRONT

Sir, —In reply to my . letter Mr Campbell said the date of parades is decided by majority vote. It is like a vote on to strike or not to strike with the miners or watersiders. Once the union boss has suggested a strike, few, if any, are inclined to oppose it lest they are put on the black list. I venture to predict that if Mr Campbell suggested Saturday as a parade day the majority would say it suited them. As it is, there is a majority in one platoon but n?t in the other. However, if I am put on the black list for opposing most of the Wednesday parades, it will only be a small sacrifice compared with patriots in Norway, France, and other occupied countries giving their lives opposing Quislings for the benefit of the United Nations.

I wish to point out that a company commander is not like a politician, who has to abide by the majority vote but who is usually selected on his ability as a leader. I feel sure that if any self-respecting officer in the Middle East or anywhere else found that the majority of his company wished to do anything that hindered the Allied cause he would immediately have them severely dealt with, and would carry on with what he thought was in the interest of his King and country.

I do not know what reason Mr Campbell has for misleading the public by saying that Pirongia sale day is always left free. I wish to give a direct denial to this, as I and other guardsmen have taken stock to the Pirongia sale and left the stock with a reserve on and postponed purchases for another sale, in order to attend a parade.

Mr Campbell definitely told a guardsman only last week that he could not excuse an'yone from parades and if they were absent they would not have done their hours for the month. In another' case a guardsman told an officer that he would be away from the district on next parade day, and would not be back until the foland if they weer absent they would have to be back for the parade. Another case: A guardsman was attending a sick cow until 7.30 p.m.; he missed the car which was to have conveyed him to parade, and. havfjg no car of his own, he was unable/to go. Next parade he was reprimanded for being absent. You will see that what actually happens, and what Mr Campbell says in his letter, are not very consistent.

To use Mr Campbell’s expression that the “pub” doesn’t come into consideration when deciding parade dates, I am glad to be given this assurance; but his lack of comment on race meetings is so conspicuous by.its absence that I ean only take it that he admits what I said in'my first letter. In my opinion any man who will not give up pleasure for the benefit of production and the Allied cause is not worthy of the sacrifices our brave lads overseas are enduring so that this world will be a better place to live in. The balance of Mr Campbell’s letter is so trifling and childish that I will not waste my time and your space commenting on it.—l am, etc., ANTI-SIXTH COLUMN.