OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 May 1940, Page 2

OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS

VOLUNTEER WAR WORK

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Sitting in my armchair in front of a roaring wood fire, on this 22nd day of May, 1940, my conscience is worrying me. No doubt many Masterton citizens are feeling the same as I do at this moment. Here we are, plenty of leisure time on our hands, our whole civilisation in peril, and, apart from subscribing to various funds, we are doing nothing to .help our beautiful country and Empire in its' greatest need. I quite agree that it is the urgent duty of the Government to give us men over military age a lead, but I suggest that Masterton (famed throughout the Dominion for its patriotism in the last war) should not wait for a lead from anyone. There are many empty sections in and around Masterton —good land going to waste. My proposal is that the Mayor obtain permission from the owners for the use of these sections, call for a “volunteer spade battalion” and have them all dug up ready for planting in the early spring. The citizens of Masterton and district ought to be able to supply all the potatoes and other vegetables required for Trentham Camp by voluntary labour, and this would be taking nobody’s living away. Perhaps other readers of the “TimesAge” can suggest other ways of helping our country by voluntary service. All the time it is “give to this, give to that” and we are taxed on this and that, but although we give willingly and pay our taxes cheerfully (?) we are never asked to do anything. I hope our good Mayor and his council will read and ponder over this poor attempt of mine. If they can think out some scheme on the lines I suggest, or of some other way of using our services in the great cause, they will earn the gratitude of many citizens of this town and district, of which I am proud to be a resident.

Since listening in to the 8.8. C. this morning and hearing of the swift and courageous action of the British Parliament, my little proposal certainly seems “small potatoes” where fi good meal is required. Let us hope that their action will give our hesitating Government pluck enough to move quickly on similar lines. —Yours, etc., ONE VOLUNTEER. Masterton, May 22.

SOCIAL SECURITY FORMS

(To the Editor.) Sir,-—The Government has urged us to prepare our Social Security forms as early as possible, but for some days it has been impossible to obtain these forms. Apparently in accountants' and legal offices it is customary to keep duplicate records and it has been suggested that this has caused the shortage. This would probably account for at the most five hundred forms.

Today we are informed that a small number of forms are available. No suggestion of an extension of time for the taxpayer is made. Perhaps the matter could be handed over to the Wharf Labourers’ Union, who might serve their country nobly by working on Sunday to get us sufficient forms.— I am, etc., TAXPAYER. Masterton. May 23.