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Hokitika Guardian, 6 July 1917, Page 2

Apajit from the objection Mr Ritchie of Bruce Bay has put in to the Charitable Aid Board on the failure to appoint a district purse fpr South

Westland, other complaints have ' reach us verbally. Mr Ritchie cham- \ pions the cause of the South vigorously and logically, and it is hoped that his representations wjll carry weight. Some -of tho other complaints whien j have readied us hav 0 ‘ been advanced 1 on behalf of the women, and on this ; score the [Board should lend a willing ~ ear. We have referred previously to ' the justice of tho South Westland claims from all points of view, and it is t<> bo hoped that at the first oppor- ; tunity tho Board will re-open the mat- | ter anj proceed to mako nn appointment from tho applications already received. In the interests of humanity with young families growing up in tho scattered district, the locality should not be left without a resident nurse. On rateable value the three southern ridings contribute to th a Board through tho levy on the County Conn- : cil £1,346 for the present year, and for so large a sum some attempt should | be made to meet the necessities of ,tl e case. It appoars.to us, further, that the Board should provide a lying-in-horne at some central place where the I nurse could liave her residenco ana headquarters. At the outset this might bo arranged for with some of th o settlers, and later as circumstances warranted 'the accommodation could lie added to. The matter is one affecting the welfare of the southern community, and the Board should turn benign attention to the needs without further delay.

Anctftkr aerial attack on England shows that the enemy are not evincing any real sign of tapering off their policy of frightfulness, which is but another indication that the Central Powers are still unready for peace at any price they would he likely to get from the Allies. We have recently heard much of the suggestions 'which 1 lmve l>een mado in the United fit-atos to co-operate with th e Allies in tho taslr of rendering the German armies blind by means of an overwhelming fleet of aircraft. This is a question tho importance of which cannot be over-estimated. The United States can undoubtedly do a groat deal to strengthen this important arm of the military services of tho Allies. Of their ability to supply efficient pilots and machines there may be no doubt and with untouched resources at their command the authorities in the United States should 1> 0 ablo to ensure beyond all doubt the position of the Allies so far as aerial warfare is concerned. Whether they would be able to drive German airman entirely from the field is another matter. Nothing can prevent the enemy from continuing to build machines and train pilots and although the Allies appear to b 6 able to obtain temporary supremacy in the air during certain periods on the Western Front, there m sufficient evidence to show that both British and French airmen are as a rule fully ocupied in holding their own against the latest German machines. An influx of American machines and pildts would ensure that dominant position which th© Allies are able t* assume’ at times over the war area, and which is so necessary for armies which are about t° tako tho offensive. Such an acquisition of strength would be of great assistance in temporarily blinding the enemy on certain sectors, but Germany would still continue to turn out machines and pilots and would still profit, though pei~ haps to a lessor degree, froni the observation of her airmen.