"DOING THEIR BIT"

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 2456, 8 May 1915, Page 11

"DOING THEIR BIT"

SOMETHING OP KITCHENER'S ARMY "A FINE, HARD, CLEAN-CUT SET OF FELLOWS" Many of the letters that are being received by local business firms cast some interesting sidelights on what is going 011 at Home. One letter received uy a Wellington firm contains the following interesting and discursive summary on matters appertaining to the greatest war in history.— "We much appreciate your remarks in • your last letter regarding our men who are 'doing their bit,' and we certainly think that the textile trad© is btaring its share of the burden, although it is not bearing a greater share than any other trade. Of course, in 6ome cases, such as railways and engineering works, recruiting has been stopped as you will fully appreciate it is really important for our railways and munitions shops to be kept going as it is for the men to be actually fighting. The general opinion is that the men who have joined Kitchener's Army will be out at the .front during the next month or wvo; in fact, thousands are going out now every day. The necessity for this will be easily > appreciated as it is generally understood that there are now between two and three million men to bo got out by the end of May. Then it is anticipated that the advance on the Rhine will commence, although it is very doubtful whether many of those who have been in. the trenches throughout the winter will be in a lit condition to bear the strain of continual marching, 'the writer learns from a personal friend who is an oiiicer in the lloyal Medical Corps that although the men in the 'trenches, taken as a body, are extremely fit and well, and have developed majvellously in the chest and arms, the lower limbs have become slack and their feet 'soft.' In fact, it would appear that they would require a considerable amount of exercise and training before thev are able to bear the necessary hardships of enforced marches. Inthis respect, we think it very probabk that the now men who have been drilling for the last five or six months, will bo fitter. . The improvement in the physique of these men is really marvellous, and as a body they are an exceptionally fine, hard, clean-cut, set of fellows. At Whatever Cost. "The latest proposition before us on this side is that the Government should take over the. whole of the engineering shops throughout the country. • This is perhaps the most autocratic movement that has been made in the history of this country for centuries. It is generally felt that- it is a necessary one, and no opposition is likely to arise. Englishmen do not like being dictated to, but they take legislation so calmly that this, I think, is a clear intimation of the spirit that is dominating all classes at the present moment. The general feeling is that we have to see the job through,- and whatever it costs either in men or money the country is prepared to supply, backed up as it is by tho loyal and generous support of the colonies. There is no doubt that the whole of the Army .is itching to bo on the move. It may be of information to you to know that many of our cavalrymen have been doing trench work. Naturally this is contrary 'to their instincts and training. The writer, himself has a brother in the 11th Hussars, who owing to tho cavalry having nothing to do lias been spending several weeks in the trenches at Ypres. Another Big Loan. "It is anticipated that the Government will be making a further big loan of £250,000,000. This, with the loan issued in tho autumn, will make a total of £600,000,000. It is a big sum, and the public have hardly appreciated yet what it will mean. The unruffled manner in which this expenditure has been, is being, and will be, faced is a pretty good manifestation of tho resources of the country, and must be a very disturbing factor to tho minds of our enemies." In the course of a letter from Leicester, the writer states :— "The writer has before him at the present time a letter from one of our largest spinners, from which we give you a few extracts, so that you will understand the situation more fully:—

" 'Even' with respect to raw wool, prices are jumping enormously. Yesterday we had a cablegram in our . hands from Brisbane to the effect that prices wore sky high, and asking for limits to be raised in greasy wool by 3d. per lb., which, as you know, means mere than double that amount in the scoured state. Added to this we have freightages advanced by 100 per cent., all docking and warehouse charges enormously increased, congestion of wool at the docks adds to the cost of the top and the yarn. Some wool has been lying in the Thames for U6 since December 25, wool which we have paid for and not seen though we are wanting: it badly. Meantime it has locked another ship which ought to be back in Australia by now. The Government of France have cabled out an order to Brisbane to buy a further 1-5,000 bales, without limit. When we remember that the combing centres of France have been annihilated it simply means that all the wool has to be dealt with in this country in addition to the enormous weight required for our own purposes caused by the extra war demands. We believe, too, it will be necessary for -users of yarns as well as tops to place their orders a considerable time ahead in order to ensure anything like reasonable deliveries during later months.

"However, we are sure our customers will realise the abnormal difficulties under which we are all labouring. Although we know a lot of tho goods sent to our friends in New Zealand are late, we have done everything humanly, possible to expedite delivery, but we cannot do the impossible."