"A HIDDEN REVENUE"

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 235, 22 June 1918, Page 8

"A HIDDEN REVENUE"

Sir,—Just think of this, the eum ov .£305,000 per annum which the State, would be quite justified in securing. This revenue should be taken from the men nf Class A, Second Division Eeservists, who have been turned down as unfit for service abroad, and who have not. provided the. greatest "asset" nny Stale requires, viz.: "a child." This class of unfit reservist runs into the figure of 14,000 approximately, and soy' the cost of upkeep of one cliild at 10s". per week runs into the fipMro of jSlOfll) ■ ner day. To show the "jnstificatwn" of handing this amount over to the State is very simple, the being that this man of no family must have been pre- i pared to fi'.ce the upkeep of n child, when he got married, therefore he cannot miss this amount, as at present he must be hoarding it or spending it on unnecessary luxuries on himself and his wife, so that they are leading the most' "selfish" life, for they could if they cared adont a healthy child of either sex. and there are always many cf thes* children, even with small premiums at-tar-hod, for fiome kind person to adopt. During the present crisis this money could l>? collected, and portion allowed to the married women with children whose, husbands have proved fit for servie» abroad ar.l thr«e already eervii>«r. nnd thereby assist the State in funds; for this purpose, for l'nve not these married women with children provided the State, -with (lie greatest "assets" which io desired, and therefore the?" women should not make any mors sacrifice thai the married women with no children, nnd v'inw nre unfit for service abrnad, the latter women making , nr> sncrifii's fo far whatever. The writer is in Cla-s C, Sprond Division, tiinimlv i">t a mer.ilier of Hie loi.ii,": th,s latter, tl>e writer I'\inks. shoii'il "it k">n 0" "■ ) »mnmlin=r." l-'ut o»lv s i.->to "requirements" (knowing the State has r M- tndioienf funtl= to wive iri"'-e li'iarnlly. though cniite il»serving). TV ahovn fuiul, wei"> it collected, would nlmnt ,-o»t (lip "WAV nnrl «tmi i>ll fuH're ntiiV Min". and I'" 1 Second Bivisi™ T?e«"rvisls vnnM no 'lonlit hnv the of knowin-; that the Class ;V unfit wits nnkiiiE «ome slight »:ievifie" <"*«t plliers—the "-omen with famili** who deservini of ever" co'J'Me'-tion. TV- ,, , writer eonsii l "''? fH.-»*- thi= Clr<=s A i"-n ii"«t wwlrl he crottiii" off mi'''. li c l.«'vHh onlv Ifls. n«r veek. to\yavls i f.Mid T" cojiclii'in , '. t"!'.e writer apolopi»«R*to t , '" f»™ of "'e Class A unfit'men who won 1, ! be willing l " ■••leh a fund.-T mil. BOSBNEATK.