The Chronicle LEVIN. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1916.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 15 September 1916, Page 2

The Chronicle LEVIN. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1916.

I TOBACCO J'OR .SOLDIERS. ihose of us who have encountered leal hardship for any l:;n«s period ;i!l ;iii- smoker*. The reason ib not hard t i .iiul : the need lor a gentle narcotic he: omes chiii'int in >-iich cireu instances. Th::.-;;i gentle objectors of both sexes who regard tobacco-smoking as a us. K»ss and vile habit are mere postulate rs wlxse lines have fallen always in pleasant places, and whose experiences (ii hunger and hardship have boon but voluntary. They doubtless will hold their present opinion as long as individual good times make pleasant their pathways. Fortunately tl»ere are others; and to this large body The Chronicle would pass on the recurring appeals for money to p'ocnre tobacvo for the soldiers who no\v are in the trenches fighting our battles, while we lead every evening about their fights, and but once in a twelvemonth about the hardships and deprivations that tliey endure. Tobacco is a necesary for five men out of every six who have to f up parl.rus times or conditions; and one out of every three of the odd men out fee's constrained to mould hini- *'!'! t<> 'the general model of those he associates with. There are physician* and social eiuleavourers. we know, who frequently dilate upon the grav:> r>kis to health and st'imimi that are run by the man who cives wav to the eiaving for tobacco; but such abusers of a good gift are rare; and. I further, we are impressed to this dny j by the philosophy Rabelais embodied, in hiis phrase, "A thousand devi's leap into my body if there be not more old drunkards than old physicians." So let us hark back to the soldiiers. . Wo have before us to-d'sy a letter from , Mr. J. Herbert Hankins, < if i North, who is making efforts to stimulate contributions from this district to the Overseas Club's Tobacco Fund, which is devoted to supplying, free, , tub.vceo to soldiers on active service, i By contributing through this club, j subscribers may obtain for their , money four times the ordinary quantity of tobacco sold by the retailer at any given .price. Subscriptions to ; the club are cabled to England free of , charge, and the tobacco is purchased from bonded store at Customs price. Further, the British Government remits all duty, and the War Office despatches to the front and delivers all parcels free ' of charge. By the laitest mail from

Europe, Mr. Hankins received tho following letter of appreciative acknowledgment from a non-commissioned officer now in France:— France, 15th July, 1916. "Although not a "front-line" man, 1 presumo my acknowledgment of receipt of "smokes" will be acceptable. .Several times [ have pal'tiriju.ited in the distribution of gift tobacco, and often when I was nearer the line than [ am now. and 1 can assure you that the main object of the club is being achieved : i.e., the delivery of the tobacco, etc., to the men who need it. —(Sgt.) C. K. Edson, H.Q.„ 1/AJX.-Z.A.C.