SEND BUTTER, MILK AND OTHER THINGS!

Taranaki Daily News, 18 April 1916, Page 3

SEND BUTTER, MILK AND OTHER THINGS!

To the Editof, Sir,—We must all take our hats off to Mr. Wright, of Rahofu. It is to him and others like him who are real warworkers that our boys at the front owe any bit of comfort they set. Apart from private gifts of butter, would it not be well for the buttei factories to be appealed to, even though it is late in ihe season, to donate a few boxes each month to be sent to our men in the trenches and to the New Zealand hospitals for wounded soldiers in Egypt, Salonika, and elsewhere? We read'that in one hospital the staff and sick men saw no butter for months .ogethcr, having to uso dripping instead. Certainly, good dripping is better than some of the stuff they call butter we have seen in Taranaki this season. As Mr. WrigLt suggests, we must send good creamery butter, if we send any. Of course, we know the matter of shipping is a problem just now, but I'm told that every transport has a certain amount of cold storage space. If the butter factories took the matter up in earnest as they should, if only out of common gratitude, it could all he done very easily. It is indeed a wonder, to again quote Mr. Wright, that we can be content to live 011 the best when we know our men are actually half-starved, for to have to exist on one or two articles of food for months at a time does mean semi-starvation. You mean ones who begrudge the price of a lb of butter or a tin of condensed milk for our soldiers may count themselves lucky if you do not choke over your welifiHed plates. These soldiers are defending not only the strong, well-fed cowards who shelter behind them, but you, an-1 vou cold-blooded, heartless men ai d womni who hear the call of the Red Cross every day and heed it not. The cry of the mean is, "Let's see if someone else will do it first, perhaps I'll contribute if my mnney is needed." What a shuffling spirit for these times. Why, the motto of every man and woman now should be, "If I don't, who will?" And let us each and every one get at it and into it. Mistakes, nf course. We'll make mi-takes, but are not these mistakes the steps by which we rise to thoroughness? For Hen von sake let us give over wondering if this or (hat is needed. ' Everything we can send is acceptable, but we have learned we must send it in the manner most approved o' by the authorities at the front to be of the most benefit. Often lam told by those who wish to help that they do not know how to go about it. There are always ways to assist, i.e., by joining the condensed milk brigade and pay in Gd each month to the depot. The boys need milk, as Mr. Wright has already told you: or, again, pay in half a crown a month, and have a parcel sent in your name to one member of the forces each, month. Each parcel eontains eatables, socks, etc. Contribute towards that and help Jo buy an ambulance for the pool fellows who may be broker, in your service. To serve our soldier men and women \< tin honor and a privilege we should be thankful for.— I am, etc., SUHffUM COBDA.