DR. VALINTINE AND HIS CRITICS.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2525, 28 July 1915, Page 5

DR. VALINTINE AND HIS CRITICS.

Sir, —Several members of the Charitable Aid Board are criticising Dr. Valintine for what they call his high-hand-ed ways in commandeering hospitals for the sick soldiers of Trentham. It was just about time that a strong highhanded man took action. The weakness of our military business has been its general slackness; and it is no time for fault-finding when a capable and strong, man takes a hand to put matters right. Dr. Valintine is tho man for the position, and unless he has a free hand no rapid or satisfactory improvement could have been effected. To commandeer a hospital to save soldiers' lives is praiseworthy, and members of charitable aid board's ought rather to praise than blamo the action of Dr. Valintine. In this connection it might also be mentioned that Dr. Valintine showed his strength in setting aside tho military order that' no alcoholic liquors should be brought into camp. The necessities of the men warranted the Dr. Valintine in defying a regulation that a short-sighted and narrow party had clamoured for. Lord Kitchener himself, a total abstainer during the war, orders alcoholic stimulants for our troops; and Dr, Valintine, considering tho general condition and the health of the men in Tauherinikau camp, has ordered them to bo served every nipht with a substantial ration oi rum. 110 systems of the men required toninj- up to enable them to more effectively. resist disease and contagion, and so the mighty rum ration became a boon and a- blessing to our soldiers.— I am, etc., NIKAU.