Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 1917. VOLUNTARY GIVING.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 21 March 1917, Page 4

Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 1917. VOLUNTARY GIVING.

(With which is incorporated The Taihape Post aud Waimu.riiio News).

■ The pioneer settlers of New Zealand were a generous people. Whether it was early training, heredity, ,or a deeply rooted instinct to which could be attributed their kindly disposition and considerate nature it matters very little now. We have it demonstrated day by day since the com--mencemerit of th e great world war

that in Taihape, where the pioneer \dass, and the pioneer spirit and good nature is still present in considerable l'crce, an appeal for help for those who have gone to meet the Huns is never unheeded. Despite the many calls that have been made upon our settlers, it seems a tolerably easy matter to raise a thousand pounds in a week from them. Who would nave estimated the proceeds from a country picnic at close on seven hundred pounds, and yet that sum represents the returns from the Ruanui sports held on Thursday, in aid of Red Cress work. TTTen on the following Monday another sports gathering adds a furraer two hundred pounds at least to ; : .ig Red Cross fund, with other returns still to come in. It is not out

•;f place, to. occasionally review the past, because it helps so much in matters of the present. Concurrently with the activity in Taibapo in raismoney for Red Cross work, our ■•> in France are aei •.'" raid vigor- ■-•■ - chasing the Gev ■ s out of that country. While cur T.-.ihape settlers

are pouring out their money to aid the wounded, our boys are literally throwing the hated Boches out of the land of our ally, where they have managed to stay, like rats, underground for the past two years. On a hundred mile front the Germans are running, getting away as fast as they can from French and British guns. In the hurry of the chase our men will inflict the heaviest punishment possible, but owing to the hugeness of the number necessarily engaged in pursuing such a colossal retreat, our casualties must be considerable. Therefore it is gratifying to have our Tai-

I hape pioneers giving freely of their [money while our boys are giving freely of their blood to secure our Empire from the devastating work of the ' wculd-be spoiler. "We believe that some of our settlers, if only a few of the very wealthiest, are entirely ridding themselves of what war profits I they have left after paying their war j taxes. Reflecting upon the figures rej presenting the givings of some, one lean scarcely help coming to this conclusion. Names are not mentioned, as it is known from the nature of the men, that would constitute something unpardonable to them. There is at

the same time a surprising laxity in some quarters from whence money should come in thousands of pounds to rescue our men from death. Up to

the present the people referred to have not given so much as the poorest farmer amongst us. Rightly or wrongly, it has been said they are trust representatives, and"* as trusts are something soulless, the opposite of the generous, kindly-natured pioneer class, nothing can be expected or them. Trusts will, however, go on aggregating the land which the flower of our Empire are shedding their blood to save from the talons ,of the bloodthirsty German eagle, till some such experience as that of Russia overtakes them. Taihape settlers, as a class, are doing their duty nobly, and, unlike the people of one of our great cities, when they give seven or eight hundred pounds in a day, they do not expect it to be telegraphed all over the country. We have every reason to feel some pride in what our settlers are voluntarily doing to help in. winning the war.

COUNCILLOR JOBLIN. Perhaps Councillor Joblin is entitled to have his letter on "Sunday Picture Referendum," in yesterdays issue, noticed in this column, but he seems so unfortunate in the construction of his sentences to convey what, he really means that one cannot discuss them as they would otherwise merit.. .He. opens out by .stating we deliberately misrepresented him. Whatever statement is made in these columns is certainly made deliberately, but we never deliberately misrepresent anyone. We deprecated the abuse of referendum machinery, in putting it to work upon such a miserably pettifogging, insignificant, belittling Question as the showing of pictures on wunday, ami we are still firmly convinced ol the correctness of our attitude. We instanced the diffi--alty in getting a referendum on the life and. % death'~quesiipii""of conscription In Australia, and,we incidentally ti'ied. ( tp, letjthe Sunday,.picture people that, the referendum course pursuing ,was an' unworthy ana, an./ : indignity mg one; we could -xave said more but refrained. "Sunhay pictures" 1 is not our subject, it is what, wet may legitimately -term the disreputable ''effort '' to invoke the whole local governing machinery with so Contemptible an object, imagine a body of sensible . .business men standing for' election to, the Council ? vitn .. 2L l ef erendum mandate. in.._their_ hands misguided people Sunday' 'pictures! It is too humiliating, and we have no hesitation in saying that neither Mr. Joblin or any 'self-respecting -to'n'sTness" 1 man would place himself- In ;,i tne"position. So far as -Councillor Joblin is- ; concerned, he correctly •'•stated' 'our opinion of him, and we have not shifted from it. we did say, and we do say still, that Councillor Joblin in presenting the Sunday Picture Referendum Petition to the Council, was unhappy in his remarks, but because he didn't mean or feel exactly what he then

stated, he must not accuse us cf misrepresenting him in the pertinent and quite, fair analyse,, we • made of what he actually did say.