PLAIN SPEAKING.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 August 1917, Page 4

PLAIN SPEAKING.

DUTY TG lII3LP THE.- SOLDTER.

Dunedin, Aug 2.0,

Mr J. A. Johnstone, in speaking at the Otago Patriotic Association’s meeting to-day, did not disguise his chagrin at tho. poor response m.ade to the public appeal for soldiers and their dependents. He said: The comparatively poor response that has been made to our latest appeal for help to augment the soldiers U-nd dependeuta’ funds bus shown n.s that the majority ot our people both in town and in country, are content to leave it to the Government to do all that may be found necessary to meet the needs of e.Y e ty ease requiring assistance To ask us to believe, that the Government will ever do so of their own free will, or that the people themselves will U P eQ mas '- e unc * compel the Government t 9 make any-thing-like adequate provision for our soldiers and their families, imposes top great a strain upon our credulity. Any'unbiased person whQ- UftS read the history of other grant wars can tell yon that never have the soldiers and sailors of the countries engaged m conflict been decently recompensed tor their priceless services, and I venture to say that although in this the scale of pensions and grants will not be so niggardly as in past wars,. stiU it will be utterly inadequate. I could fell of instances of neglect and extremo hardship which have already come under my own notice, and for which the. existing regulations make no. provision whatever’, consequently, in spite of the many unkind and unpatriotic things that have been said about our effort to place the Otago soldiers’ and dependents’ fuud on a sound footing, 1 maintain that those who believe that any Government will do all that should be done are trusting to : a broken reed. Whilst most people have said that the support of soldiers, their women folk and families is the bounden duty of tbe Government, others have stated that because ot the heavier taxation about to be imposed they are no longer in a : position to subscribe to patriotic funds. I have, I think, shown reasonable ground for the statement that the Government never do theii* duty, in the matter. As for the excuse about heavier taxation, afl I need say is that so long as there, are tens of thousands of our people wasting their money as if they had never heard of the way, I think we must agree that ■in manv cases the excuse is an invalid one.”