LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2522, 24 July 1915, Page 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

$ MUNICIPAL COLF LINKS. Sir,—Allow me a little space in your valuable daily paper to liavo inserted a fow particulars which must surely bring beforo tlio majority of the public of 'Wellington that money, public money, - too, is to my mind, wasted away in matters that should otherwise be taken up by tlio clubs to whom it may concern. , I refer now to an amount of £600 which was given out in the City Council's Estimates for improvements or j laying-out of golf links. Now, Sir, if I am not mistaken tliis surely is worth in- . -.vestigating. Because £600 is quito a ? tidy sum to spend out of public funds 7 for such as golf links ivlien there are 7 evidences that that amount would be ? better laid out for tho benefit of the : general public, and not for a few who play at golf. If tho City Council liavo ~ any surplus to spare I think most people j of Wellington would fall in with my proposition and have the surplus banked . for a Christmas cheer for the poor. At time® such as this let us help the poor, who are paying so dearly , for their living and who cannot indulge in golf. Another'thing concerning the Municipal 1 Council is that scores of men give in their names for work and never hear anything further. Months and months elapse, yet nothing is done to help many a deserving man to earn a living. Let > us then be surprised w'hen £600 is spent out at improving golf links, -while that sum would possibly keep going ' fifty men at other good work which would benefit the public as a whole for three mouths.—l am, etc., WORKING MAN.. ; .Wellington, July 22, 1015. t NATIONAL RESERVE. _ Sir,—The National Reserve regulations seem to require reconsideration on several points. They state that "citizens defence corps. Tanners' clubs, etc., formed outside tie National Reserve are to be treated on the same lines." By whom? It is not stated whether by tho Government or t'he committee of. retired officers. Tho argu--1 ments against allowing those eligible for the militia serving in tho National Reserve apply equally to the above-named bodies; besides introducing the cumbrous principle of several different bodies as such being treated as part of ■ the National Reserve, though corporate--1.7 apart from it. But when we come to 1 the raising and l organising tho National . Reserve, confusion becomes worse confounded. The first step seems to be * that "a committee of retired officers ' ur.der a chairman" is to prepare lists "in each residential area (whatever j that may mean), presumably of those j eligible to serve in the National Iks- [ serve, but no guidance is given as to limit of age or physical fitness, and nothing is said of how or by whom, this committee •of retired officers is to be convened. Tho regulations are 'drawn up 60" as - to carefully relieve the Government and Defence" Department • from any responsibility as regards military training, arming and disciplining the Reserve, and wind up -with definitely statiiiji ''There is, however, no power to administer the Oath ■of 'Allegiance, or 'to compel ser--3 vice in any capacity until the Reserve I is actually called up for service," which 3 in a previous clause is' stated to bo 1 when the Militia Act is put into force. I I suppose thero is some good reason for i objecting to the administration of tlie ,' Oath_ of Allegianbe, altfhough I cannot , imagine what it can be. I will conclude 3 this letter by hoping, that the Govern--1 ment, when they tako the matter in - hand, will so reorganise the whole moves ment as to make' the National Reserve - a valuable military _ asset, and enablo l those who aro anxious to serve their 1. country to join a reserve that-is a 1 practical and integral part of the De- > fence Force of tho Dominion.—l am, ' etc., KENT.. ) [Owing to-pressure on our space this • letter has been considerably curtailed.] i