VALUE OF LIVES.

West Coast Times, 7 February 1916, Page 1

VALUE OF LIVES.

MEN -AND ANIMALS

W KILLING TON. February 3.

The circumstances surrounding tho stranding of the small coastal steamer Kaitoa close to where the Penguin is supposed to have gone down with nearly rightly of hoi- passengers, compel ohp to ask: What is tho value of the life of a soldier? ■Home seventy soldiers were returning to ramp from Nelson, and, in the ordinary way, would have travelled per the ordinary packet, the Patcena. But needs of a travelling circus had to he considered before the soldiers, or tho ordinary passengers. And so it came about that the small coaster, the Kaitoa, which is neatly 1000 tons smaller than the Pater’s, was requisitioned for the trip which had to he made in daylight on account of th.• rilitying capacity of the vessel being exceeded. As is usually the ease, the ship with the monkeys and hoiirs aboard came to port safely, and the one with the soldiers hit the bottom, in a safe place luckily, for that part of the coast where the Kaitoa stranded is possibly the most dangerous in New Zealand. It is remarkable that the lives of monkeys, horses, and elephants are of more value to the Government than are tho lives of those who volunteer to go and do battle with the enemy.