GETTING BACK "OUR OWN"

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 14, 11 October 1918, Page 6

GETTING BACK "OUR OWN"

A MAYORAL WORD IN SEASON

Since the great war -has been waging in Europe a great many New Zealanders have, at the call of duty and otherwise, drifted away from the Ne,w Zealand Forces and purely New Zealand institutions into various arms of the Imperial service. With the sun of peaoe peeping over the horizon,, the matter of reclaiming these people for the future benefit of the Dominion has been occupying the thoughts of the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), who realises that if Now Zealand is to remain prosperous and develop as it should it will need every one of ner own and as many others as she can secure to meet the great demands which will be made upon her financially and through the losses of life iu .her youngest, bravest, and ; best. With that end in view the Mayor hasiforwarded'the following letter to the Acting-Prime Minister (Sir James Allen):— , .. . , "Dear Sir,—After the termination or the war, when demobilisation will commence, a number of New Zealanders who have been on active service in the Imperial Army and Navy and auxiliary services will be desirous of returning to the Dominion. "I respectfully suggest that you should favourably consider tho question of providing passages to New Zealand for these people. "These New Zealanders have dono splendid work in connection with the war, and, in many cases, have been drawn out of the New Zealand Forres for special Imperial service in order that their qualifications could bo iibfd to the best advantage. . ' "I trust that you will share with me the view that it is an obligation cast upon ns to see that these New Zealanders aro brought back again to oi r shores, as the Dominion will undoubtedly benefit by their presence and activities in our midst."