A MOTHER’S COMPLAINT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 23, 19 May 1914, Page 7

A MOTHER’S COMPLAINT.

| [To The Editor Stratford Post.] I Sir,—Would you kindly allow one space in your valuable columns to say a few words re Takapau camp. Sir lan Hamilton calls the matter “trivial,” and says that a lot of young follows half-larking and half uucomfortahle tnado a bit of a ruction, and that our military training lias been going such a short time that the links in the ordinary disciplinary chain are not so strong as they will be in a couple of years. 1 know he is speaking the truth. They will gradually work it that there will be no freedom of speech and that old song, “Britons Never will be Slaves,” will have died a natural death. New Zealand will no longer be a land of the free to young men, but before these things come to this point I would advise those interested in the country not to allow the miliary authorities to have all their own way in regard to changing clothes when wo get wet. New Zealand is a country over 70 millions in debt, and still borrowing. It costs a lot now for suits of clothes alone. If they can’t afford men two suits of clothes each, men should be allowed to take plain clothes to change when they get wet. AVe are not animals\ye know that getting wet and remaining in wet clothes has been the death of many a strong man, and if they don’t feel the effects of remaining in wet clothes just at the time, they do in later years. There is an old saying: “Shivering like a ; dog in a wet sack!” How much bet- | ter is a man in a wet suit? These ; camps sound very nice, but if we are going to have generals with iron hearts to train our men and worry ; about nothing but training the men | and the honor they get for doing it, 1 what then? Mothers ‘rear up their baby boys, with care, and when old enough they are taken, away to a training camp and forbidden to change their suit when wet in case they displease the eye of a general. The Minister of Defence should have the i making of the rules and not allow i men from outside to come in and rule the roost altogether. Or is our Government just an ornament in the matter. Has it any say ?If so, why not use it.—l am, etc., THO UG HTFULNKSS, JUSTICE, AND FREEDOM. .