BONFIRES AND PEACE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16463, 16 June 1919, Page 2

BONFIRES AND PEACE.

TO THE EDITOR. ’’Sir;'—T see it is suggested by the Chief Scoutmaster that a chain of bonfires should be made throughout the length of the Dominion to celebrate the signing of peace. I sincerely hope the proposal will not be carried into effect. It will involve (apart from the useless labour) the destruction of many tons of firewood,' which, considering the present shortage of fuel of all descriptions, is in my opinion little short of criminal. The amount of material which would be burnt in this way would provide several hundred families with boat for-, all purposes during the whole of the coming winter. There is none of the Little Englander, pacifist, or Red Fed. in my composition, but I tlunk the proposals to celebrate, the signing of peace by a two or three days’ holiday* accompanied by the useless expenditure -of considerable sums of money in fireworks, temporary decorations, etc... is in the present condition of things absolutely wrong. The first day of the celebrations is, I understand, to be on the Sunday. Let ns by all means as a nation offer up to the Almighty our united thanks and praise for his mercies and our deliverance, and then on the next day let us go to work with thankful hearts and with renewed vigour endeavour to increase our production, that we may the better meet and beat the nest Gterman at-, tack, i.e., on the world’s markets, and also have a little more to help those who have fought and suffered for. us, and tor those they have left behind, SVe have already snontaneously celebrated the German defeat. I feel sura the 'made to order’ celebrations will fall flat, and while all the world is calling out for food and other necessaries or life, for us over a million of people to fold our arms and cease production for two days is, I think, wicked.—l Fin, etc., •*