CORRESPONDENCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 December 1927, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

WESTLAND HOSPITAL DAY appeal. (To the Editor.) Sir—l beg of your indulgence for a little space to place before the people of Westland some reasons for asking, a full measure of their generosity ill support of the appeal being made to-mor-row and following days on behalf of the above cause. A sum of £6OO is required to enable the Board complete the permanent improvement works now being carried out and which is part of the policy unanimously agreed upon by your representatives some time ago. It is eon-

fidentl.v hoped that when this work is completed there is not likely to be a cnll for capital expenditure in the Board’s administration for a long time to come. Hence I make no apology for placing the following before you: It is true that the amount can be raised by taxation and many people consider that the financial support of hospitals should be collected through the ordinary sense, the moral objections to it are very strong. Presuming that the financing of all hospitals and such like institutions were made the subject of special taxation the humanity that creates these activities would suffer. A man might be tempted to lose all his instincts for compassion and unselfishness by the payment of a few shillings a year, and one of the finest attributes would I)' lost. The application of mechanism to every day life may he carried too far. Tt would he extremely inadvisable to adopt methods which would hint nut the necessity for public service and ' iving on the part of the individual. For one thing it would destroy the communal sense which is at the hack of all our methods and institutions and foi another it would condemn to desuetude the golden rule, whose observance brings mankind a little nearer to the angels. It would tend to create extreme individualism in a world which is built on communal lines.

IVo are not so overburdened with the expression of public spirit that uc can afford to dispense with a single goad to altruism. We are generous enough; we are unselfish enough in many. ways, and no genuine appeal is ever made to us in vain. Now nil opportunity offers to follow up the impulse by a voluntary and generous effort. Before perfect citizenship is evolved the will and the deed must be equally strong in all persons. so that the unselfish impulse will lie followed by the unselfish act. AVo must “do lovely things, not think tliem nil day long.” To-morrow and following days uivo the opportunity for all and each of \,s to assist and thus renew the life and expressions of nil that is best and noblest in the human character. T am. Sir. V. JEFFRIES. County Representative of Beard.