A NATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 62, 7 December 1918, Page 7

A NATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY

Sir,—l appeal through your columns for justice for those who are, through no fault of their own; sufferers from the. recent epidemic. There are numerous orphans, to say nothing of. those who have' lost either their father, or mother, • and who are left destitute or nearly destitute thereby. We can never restore tiieir parents to these children, but in common justice we owe them /not a mere measure of temporary relief, but adequate and full compensation. It has been proposed in some quarters to apply tlio principles of charitable aid as a temporary measure. Is it fair to place, the brand of pauperism on these children ?. Do they not deserve better treatment? There is no doubt the disease was introduced through the negligence of a Government Department for which it must be held responsible. But the responsibility of making good the loss must fall on the people wlio are behind the Government. Is it fair to say to thesechildren, "We have, it is true, deprived you of your natural protectors, but yon can have the choico of, say, .£SO compensation or you can enter n receiving home." I contend it is incumbent on us to restore as far as possible to these sufferers their pre-epideroic status. It is n. national concern. No mere temporary mensuie of relief is sufficient. Surely we are not going to.sit down' and snv wo cannot afford it. when we can afford a possible J!10,()00,00fl for such a trade as the liquor trade! Let us not suffer such a disgrace, but bestir ourselves while there is yet time to insist on a full measure of justice.—l am, etc., X, Xgaio, December G.