A WICKED PROPOSAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 June 1919, Page 2

A WICKED PROPOSAL.

To the Editor. Sir,—l see It 1b sutgested by the chief scoutmaster that a chain of bonfires should be made throughout the length of the colony to celebrate the signing of peace. I sincerely hope tho proposal will not be carried Into effect. It will Involve (apart from the useless labor) the destruction of many tons of firewood, whici, considering the present shortage of fuel of ail descriptions, is, in my opinion, little short of criminal. The amount of material which would bo burnt in this way would provide several hundred families with heat for all purposes during the whole of the coming winter. There is none of the Little Englander, pacifist or Bed Fed in my composition, but I think the proposals to celebrate the signing of peace by a two or three days' holiday, accompanied by the useless expenditure of considerable sums o( money in fireworks, temporary decorations, etc, is. in the present condition of things, absolutely wrong. The first day of celebrations is, l understand, to be on the Sunday. Let us by all means as a nation offer up to the Almighty our united thanks and praU for his mercies and our deliverance, and then on the next day let us go to work with thankful hearts and with renewed vigor endeavor to Increase our production, that, we may the better meet and beat ths next German attack, i.e., on tho world'.! markets, and also have a little more to help those who have fought and suffered for us, and for those they have left behind. We have already spontaneously celebrated the German defeat. I feel sure the "made to order" celebrations will fall fiat, and while all the worid la calling out for food and other accessaries of life, for us over a million of people to fold our arms and cease production for two days. Is, I think, wicked.—l am, etc., B.