RUBBING IT IN.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 November 1915, Page 5

RUBBING IT IN.

A £2 CHEQUE, The following appeared in a recent f9*' biio of tins Feildlng Star:—We oftes( wonder if some people know tbe Empiral is lighting to retain its right to «xistj ami Hint every day brave boys are en« gaged in desperate conflict, shedding their limbri, their sight, and even life's blood In order that our womenfollo and little ones may bo protected flora outrage ami torture inlinitely worse than death, that our property may be left safely in our possession, and that we as a nation way be permitted ta develop our institutions for the freedom of the world. There are eligible men in l'cilding without family ties, who positively refuse to enlU:. There are alsu men of wealth who will give little or nothing to make smooth the path of life for those lads who come back from the firing-line maimed and handicapped because of their willingness to bear the burden of the brunt of the battle. The man of means ivlio will not give is quitq as bad as the shirker who will not fight. Some lev weeks ago the Feilaing Patriotic Committee appointed canvas*

scrs to augment tneir funds for wound* ed soldiers. One of these from whom ai donation was solicited is a resident whflj is worth certainly not less than £30,000« lie is well past the prime of life, has no family depending upon him, and no, \ one specially to whom to leave liisi money. After thinking over these factsj he sent the Patriotic Committee a dona* tion of £2. lie remembered the valu* able property which he owns, the sum4| of money he lias invested in various ways, and his comfortable home which; the soldiers arc enabling liim to spend] the rest of his days in; so be sat dowqj and wrote out a cheque tor two pounds sterling. He read in the paper the a<M counts of bloody battles where of our brave lads have fallen or been maimed for life, and out of gratitude ta( those bovs who are standing up so noWjl for tile cause of liberty, lie forwarded} to the Wounded Soldiers' Fund the sum of £2. Tile Patriotic Committee wers, very gentlemanly about H. They gavq| him a month in which to think over it, suggesting that he must have made a< mistake. They wrote him a letter ta that effect. Rut nary a mistake. Ha did not even reply to the letter. The committee at its latest meeting decided to send the chc(|ue back, saying tbey did not wish to damage their list with its record, and praying that if the donoß wished to emphasise his liberality and[ loyalty, the committee would prefer tlftljj he choose some other channel.