FOR CHILDREN OF FALLEN SOLDIERS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 17583, 29 May 1919, Page 4

FOR CHILDREN OF FALLEN SOLDIERS.

A visitor to Wanganui during the past two or three days was Dr. J. E. Riddell, of Hawke's Bay. This gentleman, who was a captain in the New Zealand Medical Corps, has proved himself to be one of New Zealand's most earnest work* «rs on behalf of our soldiers, and now is concentrating the -whole of his time and energy to provide for the children of men who made the supreme sacrifice on the battlefield. His object is now to collect £50,000 from the Patriotic Societies of the Dominion, this being nvp per cent, of the funds available, which jit the present time amount to over £1,500.000. He wants to take fifty of the cleverest children of the men who made the supreme sacrifice, and put them right through the University, paying for their board, clothing, and fees, so that not one penny shall come out of the widows' pockets. The Junior National Scholarship examination is to be the test. The selection of a profession is to he left to the candidates. "The children of men who died for us should be given every facility to get a chance in life to raise themselves higher than to J>e merely hewers of wood and stone,1' says Dr Riddell. "Nothing we can do is too good for those heroes' children. There are 2,135 children, under sixteen years of age, of the men who have ' gone West.' The remainder of the children of deceased soldiers who cannot pass the necessary examination test will, provided we can raise the money, be apprenticed to different trades and businesses, we paying for their board and cloth**. In addition to the above, we intend putting four Maoris' children right through the Uni • versity, we providing the necessary funds. The Maoris fought splendidly for us, therefore it is up to us to show our appreciation." So far, Dr. Riddell has wet with much success in his laudable crusade. The Hawke's Bay War Relief Association voted :£o,ooo, and yesterday the Wangnmu-V/aitotara Patriotic As-*o-ciation voted £2.000. We trust that Dr. Riddell will succeed in his self-

appointed Jtaski| As he says, too much cannot be '£one for the children of men who died that the Empire might live. The appeal comes with a ringing note to all classes of the community, but

especially to those whose worldly goods have increased as a result of the sacrifices of heroes.