THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times PUBLISHED MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS. FRIDAY JULY 30, 1915. OUR WOUNDED SOLDIERS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 63, 30 July 1915, Page 2

THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times PUBLISHED MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS.

FRIDAY JULY 30, 1915. OUR WOUNDED SOLDIERS.

" We nothing extenuate, nor tet down auohl in malice."

Ml the more weight to Mr James Roulston's recent suggestion in our correspondence columns that steps should be taken in Pukekohe to organise lor the benefit of members of the Expeditionary Force returning wounded to the district is given by the published announcement of the personnel of the exeeu'ive nominated to coutiol the Auckland Provincial Patriotic and War Relief Association. The list of vice-presi-dents for the organisation fails to include any recognition at all of Pukekohe although all the other boroughs iu ihe province are represented thereon by their Mayor. Thi omission under such circumstirccs is glaring. Pukekohe and district have ser t fairly considerable sums to the various Auckhnd funds, with other money yet to Lllow, but it is not consoling to think that the interests of local wounded men may suffer by the absence on the adaministrative executive of a representative from the ditfict, who is cognisant of the needs and necessities of cases in this part of the Lower Waikato. In reply to Mr Koulston's plea, backed up ss it was by a promised donation of £IOO from bis brother, Mr William Koulston, ar,d ±'so from his own hi in of Koulston Bros., the Mayor (Mr H. U. R. Mas >n) published the reply that a fund already existed in Pukekohe, donations being sent on to Auckland. That answer, however, especially in view of the new developments, does not tit the bill. If all the money is sent to Auckland

there should be some local authority or representative appointed to advise headquarters in Auckland of necessitous or deserving cbbcs. The Mayor, as in other places, should have a seat on tbc Auckland Executive ard until this apparent injustice is rectified local contributors will certainly not be satisfied. If Fukekohe is not to be recognised there wil be all the more reason for a district lund being locally managed and administered. At Cambridge the invitation to join the Auckland Central Relief Committee has been declined and local trustees have been appointed to administer the fund;, the intention being that the trustees should render assistance in every possibla way to returned soldiers or any of their dependents, who need assistance. Whatever is done in Pukekobe towards the Central Fund a proportion ot leal contributions might with advantage be withheld ready for disbursement by the Patriotic Committee or othar Trustees on cases of emergency. If, as sdvocated by Mr James Roulston, a public meeting

were celled on behalf of the Wounded Soldiers' Fund tbe subscription list would not only benefit, but old and new subscribers would be afforded tbe opportunity of deciding in what mancer their donations should be administered.