Dear Sir,

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 172, 12 June 1940, Page 4

Dear Sir,

Letters to the Editor must be clearly written on one side of the paper only. Where a nom-de-plume is used the name of the writer must be enclosed for reference purposes only. IS HOME KNITTING A WASTE OF TIME

Sir,—What a pity it is that a representative of tiie Govcrnme'it should make a statement belittling the voluntary labour of the women of New Zealand, by saying they are just wasting lime by knitting at home for the soldiers.

I feel sure the statement must have been made (though no doubt honestly) without thought of other values than commercial. Is every effort in the present conflict to be judged by machine value? There is such a thing as spiritual value, that takes no count of cost, and which has an cffect on the personality of the worker for good.

Knitting is a cure for jitter bug, meaning nerves, it lightens the burdens of care, it sooths the ruffled feelings, it exercises a refining influence in the home, it calms the passions, and elevates the soul'.

It is a labour, of love, and it will be a sad day when all such efforts are frowned upon, because a machine could make it more profitabb', the individuals personality should be submerged. Thank God there are thousands in New Zealand who do not mind working for love and so remain human.

However to be more prosaic and take the critic on his own ground. He calculates that a machine would make 25 to 50 pairs of socks per week, while a hand knitter could turn out 2 pairs, also he says thousands of women are wasting time by knitting. A little calculation would reveal, that if you took 5000 hand knitters they would make 10,000 pair of socks per week, but ii machines were used, taking the critics top figure of 50 pair per machine, it would take 200 knitting machines which at a conservative estimate would cost at least £10 each total £2000. Probably they would be unprocurable at the present time. However, how are you going to, use personal effort undei: 1 those conditions.

Here you have without this outlay, by individual effort, exerted by mother while waiting for the spuds to boil, or rocking the cradle (and you know the hand that rocks the cradle is supposed to rule the •world) or having a friendly chat with a neighbour, or waiting for father to come home to tea, all the above spare moments are utilised ill a labour of love by knitting. Would you have them twiddling their thumbs (which is bad for the nerves) instead of the needles. 1 do not feel capable of analysing all the attributes that animate the women of New Zealand in their efforts at malting-.woollen comforts for our soldiers. Now ladies, here is your chance to vindicate your individual spirit. Is it a little of the same spirit, that animated the services of the defence and the withdrawal from Dunkirk or which Rudyard Ripling portrays so splendidly in his poem "If"— If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will, which says to you. 'Hold on.' Hoav many tens of thousands there must have been in that great retreat and the willing helpers, who must have reached that stage, which Kipling designates as one of the attributes of those who will own the Earth and everything that's in it and —what is more — you'll be a man, my son. Sir, as long as that spirit animates the Allies there can be no defeat. Yours etc., PRO PATRIA. (Our correspondent, no doubt refers to the criticism raised by Mr A. F. Moncur, who opened the Ad-dress-in-Reply of the present Parliamentary sitting. Mr Moncur said that the thousands of women knitting, all over the Dominion for soldiers were merely tinkering witH, the; position and he considered a more practical way was; by ■ organise irig toaehinery to do the job, Ed)

COALITION GOVERNMENT Sir, —Would the JVlay.or and his supporters tell us the reason why he and they desire a Coalition Government? Out of the volume of verbosity we can discover no reason which they advance. To keep on criticising the Government that is making a great effort to protect these very speakers is the demonstration of all that is mean. New Zealand is not running the war. The Hon. the Prime Minister and his colleagues offered "the help of New Zealand and Ave may conclude that the British Government directs the New Zealand Government . Ask any soldier the conditions under which he is serving and you all know what he will tell you: Could not be better. Now, then, why a Coalition Government? The Government that was in pow er in has now taken upon itself the office to request a Coalition Government. This same Gcjvp£ x ernment imposed conscription "<a( men only and the soldier was exploited. When the soldier returned, he had to work for ten shillings per week by direction of the samo Government. Now, Sir, these are the people who request the direction of the present War Effort. No. A thousand times No! Our word to these people is to cease place-seeking and personal benefits and get into the collar for "it takes a long pull to get there." The Labour Government has the brains. I have heard people of the Coalition movement say that tliey only have the brains. They did not have the brains to do a fair thing by the soldiers *n the last war. The returned men after fighting returned to help to pay the cost. We desire no Coalition Government but it is up to all to stop 1 grousing and get into it to help the men who are fighting for us. Yours etc., "ALL IN."