YET ANOTHER BELGIAN LIST

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 27 November 1914, Page 2

YET ANOTHER BELGIAN LIST

CAN HAVE TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING THE CRY IS STILL THEY COME THE way that Belgian subscription lists are being cast about is now becoming a burden on the people, and, in fact, a nuisance. Everyone has done his or her best, and following on the Patriotic subscriptions, there haye been numerous devices by all manner of ways and means, socials, shows, parties, concerts, private subs, gifts, sales, and almost every dodge imaginable promoted to swell the benefits in aid of the poor but brave Belgians who have lost home, his relatives and friends,and nowin a state of starvation and cold. A>v,() last, but not least, was the shilinig iiqiise-to : house collection all round on Saturday. Helensville, not to be outdojie" by' any other patriotic town or. village.in'the ■ JQomimon, has indulged in all tlje abQye'methods to help swell the main* puj/se, < and. we can say., without a blush. ] she has done wonders in every respect, . and on a pepuiaTtion basis is up to any other centre or | community in the whole colony. yyne 7 rould have thought that was enougii, Mit 'this is not so. As some- party 'or .vxhe.r in Wellington, who evidently \yaiii, I

to get their name up, have issued under the auspices of the Wellington Patriotic Sports Com, and forwarded to the ECHO, a most elaborately printed (in colours) subscription list, headed as follows :— " Only one shilling. Belgian Christmas Gift Fund. Britons all. This is your opportunity worthily to participate in the season of good will toward men; When arranging the gifts, from good Father Christmas for your own dear ones, you will be happier in the knowledge that you have kept back one shilling for the brave Belgians who are destitute, and whose children have been made homeless orphans by the merciless German fiends, who respect neither babes nor mothers. It is estimated that one shilling per head of the adult population of New Zealand will send £25,000 to these little victims whose parents have given their lives in the cause of Liberty and Right. The whole of the proceeds will go to ' The Poor of Great Britain and Ireland and Belgium Relief Fund,' for transmission to Belgium through His Excellency the Goyernor." Now, though it is far from our intention or wish to deter anyone from subscribing a shilling towards the Belgian Christmas Gift Fund, we do unhesitatingly say the Belgian cause is being overdone. Granted the children of the brave Belgians have been made destitute and homeless orphans by the merciless German ' fiends' and would enjoy a Christmas gift, we do not see eye-to--eye with the dual object of including the poor of Great Britain and Irelandin the list. Let these have a subscription list on their own account. However, if any person desires to subscribe a shilling towards the above object, they can do so by patronising the list now lying at our office, but we are not going round to do the cadging, though we would head the list.