THE OBLIGATIONS OF FAMILIES TO OUR COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2890, 30 September 1916, Page 3

THE OBLIGATIONS OF FAMILIES TO OUR COUNTRY

Sir,—Of late much has, been .written and said about tho obligations of our people to the. Empire, and.many instances aro cited- of only sodb leaving tlieir'Homed and giving ,up their lives, also of three,, four,, or live or more out of a family who Lave felt the call, made pecuniary , sacrifices,., and gone forth knowing' full well • that their actions must seriously aifect tho futures of the dear ones from whim they have torn themselves-'away. "All honour to such patriots 1 It is good to 1)0 ablo to feel that from 0110 end of the Do-minion-to tho other we have men inspired by this spirit of self-abnegation, but, unfortunately, it cannot bo ignored that thero are, others who entirely fail to realise their duty to King and country, and are content to let their neighbours make the sacrifices, and do the fighting, while they continue to make the best of the good time they ore having in the safety of their New Zealand homes. How many of your readers will believe that in one town there is a family comprising seven sons, all able-bodied men, ranging in age from 23 to about '15, and everyone of thorn deriving a livelihood from publio employment of ono kind or another,, and all (except ono who is in the service of tho Dtfenco Department) standing out while-those around them have been (looking to the colours ? It is true that somo of these men aro married, find have families, but so it has been with thousands of those who have goni' to the front, and of whom many will not coma back to us. What tro the oGvornmcnt and the Ilecruiting Beard doing that such things "can be?—l am, etc., 'ANTI-SHIRKER.