Nothing could encourage the private soldiers engaged in this war,
and especially the Reservists, whose lot is often exceedingly hard, more than the certainty that their wives and families will be provided for. We welcome, therefore, the appeal which Lord Lansdowne and Lord Wolseley pub. lished on Thursday, asking the public to subscribe to county Associations which, in concert with the Soldiers' and Sailors' Families Association, will deal locally with every case of hardship, the intention being to assist all soldiers' wives, whether they are "on the strength" or not. The central Association will aid the local Committees from its funds, but without local knowledge and local supervision there is sure to be confusion and waste. The county, moreover, takes a pride in its own men, knows the history of their regiments, and often contains families who have with them an hereditary relation. Only we trust the liberality of London, which pays one-fifth of the whole Income-tax, will not be confined to its own bounds, but will, as it does in every other case, overflow on every side. Mr. Kipling's stirring appeal in verse should rouse Londoners, if anything can. Meantime we are informed that the wives of the Reserve men are in great trouble because they have as yet " touched " nothing from the regulation allow- ance. They say that unless their money is given every week half the benefit will be gone. We sincerely trust that there is some mistake in our information. Payment by the month instead of the week in the case of the poor is a very serious cause of trouble and anxiety.
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