FUNDS FOR THE SICK AND WOUNDED.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2494, 22 June 1915, Page 10

FUNDS FOR THE SICK AND WOUNDED.

Sir, —I think -that one of your correspondents t'he other day was a little hard 011 tho clergy of the various denominations. I feel sure that the majority .agree with nie in believing all this raffling, gambling, etc., to be in principle immoral, and much regret its appearance at this time. But two reflections have held us hack from making formal protest: (1) The desire not to~ introduce disharmony and bitterness into what is at heart a noble effort, though mistaken in its methods; (2) the belief, or at least hope, that the vast majority of those wlio take part in these raffles, etc., are in this instance doing so without thought of personal gain, but with a desire to help the cause. I am sure, too, that these two reactions have closed our lips with regard to much that is being done in the Carnival, the Whole atmosphere /if which is strangely out of keeping with the solemnity of the time. I," for one, should like to have found that at least at sucb a national crisis our people would have given without all these fictitious aids and sensational incitements -"given for love of King and country, and given in the spirit, not of excitement. but oF praver and humility. And I believe that they would have so given had not the promoters of the Carnival —conscientious, but ill-advised—come forward with their scheme. But they "got in" first. Yet while admitting to the full their disinterestedness and sincerity of mir-

pose, we are at liberty to think the whole thing a. mistake, and to ask that no more such schemes bo adopted, but that (until such tiwo as tho Government duly impose a wax tax) some plan of voluntary taxation be iutroduced. Why should it not be possible to start a "Voluntary Taxation League," asking all who join to give willingly a certain percentage of their income for a certain time? I think the response to such an appeal would astonish the promoters of Carnivals. —1 am, etc., ERNEST J. SOLA. .Vicarage, Eastbourne.