THE CALL OF OUR EMPIRE AND OF OUR EMPIRE'S GALLANT DEFENDERS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 164, 1 April 1918, Page 6

THE CALL OF OUR EMPIRE AND OF OUR EMPIRE'S GALLANT DEFENDERS

Sir, —I see that correspondents are urging us, in your columns, to giro more serious thought to the call o£ Empire and the needs of our fcllowcoHiitrymeu. Some would call us to* work; some to church (rather than toprayer). Prayer without work can avail no more than faith without work. Whatever prayer can accomplish can be accomplished most effectively when prayer is an accompaniment of— or,, rather, when it is expressed in—work. What is urgently wanted is not formal or public, or oven church prayers, bub tho silent and sincere prayers of men and women who ere "doing something," or, (when they are unable to do, or are' incapable of doing anything) are "giving something" tor the cause of our Empire, of its gallant defenders, and of the millions who are suffering privations, and who are likely to suifer for years to come. What are we doing ? What have- our capitalists done? What can even our masses be said to have ■suffered in tho way of privation? Think ol go along the streets 1A any of our *>e\v Zealand towns and you are confronted on all hands with indications of luxury, extravagance, and almost criminal frivolity, and eelf-indulgence? Think of it all, my fellow-eitizeus! Think ot thfi.. habitues of our racecourses, of our drinking-barß, of our golf courses, ot our football and pricket fields, of our. croquet, and tennis lawns, ot our theatres, our music-halls, and of our picture shows-could not all these be /doing something" for their Empires cause, rather than at such a critical juncture in our history be indulging themselves to the top of then- bent£ If the money and time devoted to such frivolous indulgences were devoted to work in aid of our gallant soldiers and our suffering fellow-countrymen ami Mies, it would very materially relieve their suffering. Think of the was ed energy-wasted human energf-in tMDominion that could be utilised to beiiehceut purpose in these days. Our Parliament meets, in a few dajs -is it going to do anything to organise the stay-at-homes for "Clonal service? For several years to come the OKI World will be' face to face with pnvaL and even starvation. Can we no turn to and do something to supply, their needs? I^our young pen (inmm plssbvom public parks on SaturffJ visit our university colleges and ftk numbers of yotffig men wo STve been developing wonderful p«tonalities during the past tlice jcua on football fields., and (sad to relate) ShiKal;^Snsu.^ rf the heartrending privations lo which many of our countrymen and their Allies are subjected. It is h> be hoped, sincerely hoped, that before the Prime Minister and Sγ Joseph Ward leave these snores 'aml while Parliament is assembled, that an. : i dwillbomadeofalltheund.|«.fij methods of raising.funds in aid ot " 1 war relief organisations, '.and that 2- statesmen> will devise a simply a. equitable, and a digmhed taxation of land and income unit J will ensure that the wealth ot tne CrantoJV being duly commandeered o make adequate provision for tha needs of our soldiers who return ma med and suffering, and aso or the dependant of those whoso lives. 1 a\e been sacrified for us on our battlehe Surely our Government should be heartily" ashamed to resort to such methods of raising iunds-or to allow so-called patriotic organisations to esort to such methods of raising Innds (for war charities) as are practised en our public streets, and in our Male Schools, when tho really moneyed c'"sses and profiteers could be easily reS by the Minister of Finance b feet taxation) if he had a serious. nind to (lo so. The patience of the community has been severely taxed and almost exhausted during tho jmsc three vears in many connections. Let Parliament make amends during the l≤ gatious-I am, v eto.... cBiTANNICUS