CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1858, 30 July 1918, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

(To the Editor.) Sir. —Bein''- a subscriber to your paper for some few years, I he" spare for a few linos re “"rants to returned soldiers,” whieh appeared in your last issue. Your eorrespondent says “lie regretted to say lie had seen a reeenlly returned man under the inlluenee of liquor.” T fancy it is well-known to whom he alludes, hut 1 think it is hardly fair to judge the man hy one occurrence. Perhaps your correspondent is not aware that the returned man has just returned from privations and hardships to which he has not, and is ’ never likely to undergo, unless he also wishes to do his little (lit, like the returned soldier, and face the tiring line for three years. All honour to him for contributing to patriotic purposes, hut surely before rushing into print he should pause a little and consider if, under the same circumstances, whether he would not he inclined to have had a little laxity also. If there was less “shouting’' for our returned men perhaps there would not he the same occasion to rush to print. Hundreds of pounds have been collected in little Foxton alone, and if they begrudge a few pounds to our returned local men, well, the best thing they can do is to put the money in their pipes and smoke it. • —I am, etc., A BRITISHER.

(To the Editor.) Sir. —I noticed in your last issue that a local resident took exception to “Fair Play’s” letter which appeared ih the columns of jour paper of Thursday last. Now, I should just like to place the following facts before that local resident. On Anzac Day there was a special meeting and a tea afterwards provided, and it was there 1 heard for the first time that the local Society were giving discharged soldiers £5 towards mufti expenses, hut no mention was made as to when the movement came in force. On the 6th May 1 applied for the £5 mufti allowance, and not getting an acknowledgement of any sort of the application, again applied on -June 6th, and received letter No. 1. Then on July 27th I received the reply, letter No. 2. I should just like to explain this reply, as it is rather misleading, although to a minor extent I rue —in the first part, hut the second part is absolutely wrong. The money 1 received was £6 for six weeks’ hoard while out of employment from date of my discharge. They simply wrote to the Dcparlment of Internal Affairs for a concession in fare |o England, and a passage was granted on condition that 1 (it (it) carried out any work' required. This I did. The Department’s letter hereunder explains the position. The last part of the letter came as an insult to me, as I thought enquiries were made nyarding applications, hut this pedicular applicatjon could not have been gone into, or the .Society w.add have known I was living in F. xlon when I enlisted, and also 1 . aiisled from Foxton. and am proper. .1 to prove my statements. In any case, (lie argument about where a person enlisted from does not hold valer, as a friend of mine enlisted i, am Southland, and lie got his £5 within a month.

[Loihr No. 1.1 “Foxtui, .June Sth, 1918. “Mr C. M. TunnicliflV, Poxton. “Dear Sir.-—Vour Idler of Ihc (ilh hist, to haul. 1 am sorry that the lirst has not been answered, Dnl 1 did not gd if, as ilhad been mislaid amongst Society papers at Air Fellow's office. I shall have to plaeeyour letter before the commiitee meeting, to lie held shortly. —Yours faithfully, “JOHN 1.. HARVEY, “Hon. See.” [Letter No. 2.J “Eoxloii, July 25fh, 1918. ’“Mr (Tnnnieliffe, “Hull Street, Poxton. “Dear Sir’.—Your application for mufti allowance has been considered, and il is dedded that, as you have already had money and help from the Society, there can he no furl her grant made to you. “I must remind you that you did not enlist from Paxton, and that you were working elsewhere than here at the time. “Yours faithfully, “JOHN L. HARVEY, “Hon. See.” [Letter No. 3.J “Department of Internal Affairs, “Wellington, Aug. 12th, 1916. “Sir. —With reference to the representations which have been made by the Foxton Patriotic Society regarding a concession in fare for you on your coming visit to England where you are proceeding to rejoin your parents, and to your personal enquiries thereon, 1 have the honour to inform you that the Officer Commanding New Zealand Military Forces has agreed to allow you to embark on the Transport • : for subsequent transhipment to the United Kingdom. The Government is unable to accept any further liability than transport to England., You will require to report to the Senior Embarkation Officer (Major Roberts), Wellington, on the morning of Saturday, the 19th iust., and to give an assurance for compliance with orders and instructions en route, and to carry out any work if fit. If you are prepared to accept these conditions please report yourself to ■Major Roberts on the morning of

the 10th insl., accordingly, I have the honour to be, sir, “Your obedient servant, “J. TIfSLOP, “Under-Secretary.” 1 am, etc., CECIL TUNNICLIFFE, Hall Street, Foxton. (To the Editor.) Sir. —t read in Saturday’s Foxton “Herald” where a local resident, a liberal subscriber, wailed on yon re “Fair Play’s” letter, which also 1 read, and greatly approved of. It shows someone is still alive to the fact that more assistance is needed from the Society. “Fair Play” asks a fair quest ion, whieh main —a great many —are asking at the present time. What do our Patriotic Fund Committee intend to do to help the returned men that are sick and wounded, or are they going to save it all up till after the war and erect a nice big monument in the square for our sick ami wounded to look at ? I don't think our boys will approve of that. Also, “Fair Play” asked a fair question about a returned man who enlisted from.Foxton, and who put in his claim for his little mile from their thousands, and they gracefully turned him down. That man, I believe, is practically broken in health, and is deserving of his share from the fund. The excuse seems very funny. Mr “Local liberal Subscriber” remarks with regret that he observed a recently returned man under the. influence of liquor. Did he ever meet a friend who was very pleased to see him, pat him on the back, and ask him to have a tonic whieh made his head swim, or is he a goodygoody, and never taken a tonic in his life? This very good resident also says he does not believe in squandering the funds. The public know that without his telling. What the public do wish to know is whether they are going to do their duty to our returned boys or not. That’s the question that is being asked. It’s not right to give to one and refuse another. There should be no exceptions, and when a public body subscribe.-, it should be dealt out accordingly, not hoarded up, especially when there is a needy ease in our midst under our very nose, and we object to have it made so prominent. It’s one great shame to us all. —I am,etc., A SOLDIER’S FRIEND.