THE SEASON WHY.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 January 1916, Page 3

THE SEASON WHY.

To the Editor. Sir,—Mr. W. J. Chancy complains tliat not 0110 penny piece is coming in for the Wounded Soldiers' Fund, but, Sir, in your columns weeks ago I predicted this when I stated that people would ''turn dog" when they found patriotic committees playing for keeps with their subscriptions, because putting them on deposit only enriches bank shareholders, and is 110 good to the. poor fellows who are lighting for us and who are keeping the teeth in every man, woman and child in Xew Zealand. Then, again, what about the soldiers who will never return? Don't they want some little show of comfort before they "go west"? Help can be given in so many ways, especially for the soeia] side, and that is why I have advocated supporting the Y.M.C.A., which is now spending £IOOO in reading, recreation and refreshment rooms, which assist so much in freshening np the war-worn soldier, and it should be remembered that it Is more important to get these warn-worn men up to concert pitch again than to lia/'e them sent home invalided. Now, your Stratford correspondent gave particulars of a very sad case, but I did not see whore the Patriotic Committee offered assistance. I read, though, in the .Vows that they put .£2300 in the Stratford Deposit Bank, "to help things along a bit," as I heard a man remark. In these times, unfortunately, we find some people imitating the Dunedin man who, when asked by the parson if he remembered to keep the Sabbath Day, replied that he always kept the Sabbath and everything else he could get hold of, but patriotic committees should avoid this sort of thing. It is reported that that very worthy man, Mr. Mcllardy, of Palmersion Xorth, who has given away thousands, has expressed dissatisfaction with the delay in handling war funds, and has sent £IOOO to the Y.M.C.A., while the Palmerston Xorth Committee are giving £2.~)0 a month to that body to spend for them, as with their twentyJive agents at the front and in Egypt they are the only properly organised body who can deal in a business-like way with subscriptions. Besides, having now amalgamated with the Australian Uoil Cross in Egypt, people sending money and parcels can have them divided between hospital and social work There will be no leakage, and parcels sent through them, if they fail to find an owner, will b« given to some deserving case. "Wellington people showed their confidence last week by raising £.>-12 to pay off the final mortgage on the Y.M.C.A. buildings. Just a word about empty bags. Our boys are fighting in hot desert sands. To dig a

trench is impossible, the sand coming in faster than they dig. They must have bags, and there are millions lying about wasting, so an effort .might be made to get them away. I refer farmers in this district to the advertisement in the Xews of to-day.—l am, etc., W. K. WRIGHT. Eahotu, January 0.