WANTED—JUSTICE NOT CHARITY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11207, 13 October 1914, Page 5

WANTED—JUSTICE NOT CHARITY.

FOR THOSE WHO GUARD THE PORTS. TO THE EDITOR. Sirj—lt must come as a disagreeable surprise to most New ZeaJautlers to learn that tlio mem on active duty guarding New Zealand's porta are paid only four shillings a day, and that these bravo i'euows are dependent on charity—for that is what it amounts to—for jerseys, underpants, socks and shirts, boots and top coats, to enumerate the items mentioned by Colonel Cooper. " A lew of the men are very badly off," said Colonel Cooper, in an interview with your reporter, ■' and throe of the urgent cases had been relieved, but I should think there are fifteen. or twenty men who would Ire considerably benefited by a little assistance to make up their rate of pay from the Government to what tliey were receiving before These men have mothers, wives, sisters, and brothers depending on them.'/ Sir, the whole thing is a scandal—a burning shame. Is New Zealand bankrupt in purse or bankrupt ; n character that such things should be? Can we not afford to pay these men a fair day's wage for defending our country? Or is it that we will not? Who is responsible for this disgraceful state of affairs? "To the credit of the men,'' adds Colonel Cooper, "it must be said that they have rot asked that anything eliould be done," but it is not to New Zealand's credit that there should be any need for them to ask, or for anybody else to ask on their behalf. " If there are a few liberal persons in Christchureh who could help," Colonel Cooper is " quite sure that Colonel ChafFcy would be prepared to hand over the list showing those who are in need of help,'' and he concludes, " the .men are giving their services willingly and ably." Yes, " the men are giving their services willingly and ably," yet New Zealand's Government gives the men a paltry "four bob a day," reducing them to being put down in a charity list by way of apnea! to " a few liberal persons in Chrirt church," degrading them to being dependent upon private benevolence for jerseys, underpants, socks, shirts, boots and top-: coats, and, what is still worse, for the j comfort and well-being of thoso near j and dear to them.

These men, sir, ought to get from [ the New Zoftlr.nd Government as a 1 matter of justice, not from private benevolence as a matter of charity, at least " what thoy were receiving he- ! fore " tlipy were calloc! out to dofend ! Now Zealand, and all the supplies j they need while 011 duty. I am quite I sure, indeed, that very few. if any, New Zealanders would grudge them "time and a half" for their services at this crisis. And wo are well able to pay. Whv. sir. in the past fiva years, as the Hon James Allen showed in his last Financial Statement, Now Zealand's .unimproved (oommnmty-croated) vnlnee Vivo increased hy prnct-'c-nlly £52.000,000; out nf this huge increase some £26.000.000 have ffone to the 6000 and odd landholders who pay (graduated land tax! At 5 per cent this means that those six thousand big land monopolists are now pocketing £1,300.000 a year of community-creat-ed rental values, moro than they did j five years ago. And the land tax

(Graduated tax included) brought n last year little more than half tliati amount—some £767.000! Surelv. however great the services these 6000 render by holding the land of New Zealand, we are much too generous to tb«m ; and we nv>H read ; lv, wSthoift mfl'cHw? undue hardshin unoti them. the laid tax sufficientlv to enable the Government to oav thn<sf» who guard our ports at legist whrcfc thev were getting thev were called up for duty, and all that thov require in the way of boots, topcoats, jersey® and so forth while on duty.—l am 3 etc., ARTBtTR WITHY. Christchmcb, October 13, 1914.