SOLDIERS' GRIEVANCES.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 125, 27 May 1919, Page 8

SOLDIERS' GRIEVANCES.

THE DOMINION CONFERENCE. CRITICISM OF GOVERNMENT. DELEGATES DISSATISFIED. (By Telegraph. —I'ress Aesor'ntion.) CHRISTCHUBiCH, Monday. \t the annual conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, Mr C W. Batten (Wellington), in seconding the adoption of the report, said it was a matter for congratulation that the association had never heckled or embarrassed the Government. Mr. McManus (Duncdin), said he regretted nothing had been said about, the creation of new industries or expaa- j eion of old industries. The Government policy had been one of inaction. Repatriation could not ignore industries. In the matter of land there wae urgent need for direct representation. Land had been purchased at fictitious values, based on war profits. It was possible that soldiers would make a living while prices were high, but .when prices came down they might bu faced with ruination. Mr Miller (Taieri), said the Government had alienated the sympathy of the country: it had done absolutely nothing for the returned eoldiers. Commission agenta should be cut out from dealings with land for returned eoldiera. Mr. Leadley (Christchurch), said the Christchurch Association had initiated a proposal to settle soldiers at poultry ] farming in Canterbury, but it had been ! turned down. If there had been one j Minister in charge of repatriation, the matter could have been dealt with more expoditiouely. Mr. Leadley remarked that the Government's concessions 1 regarding retrospective allowances had been extracted by threat*, and if justice could not be got otherwise, he believed in using threats and backing them up. • ' Mr. Brown (Wanganui), said it was ' the second mortgage which presented the main difficulty to returned men. Mr. Laycock (Palmereton North), said there was a tremendous gamble going on with regard to land values. | Mr. Jacobs (Palmerston North), said ! there liad been too little constructive j criticism. Returned soldiers were almost as much to blame as the Government, 1 for, even at this day, the association 1 had no definite proposals to put to the Department, lie advocated compulsory acquisition of land for soldiers. Mr. rridham (Wanganui), said public, revenue must not be got from soldiers,: but from "stay-at-homee." j Mr. Reid (Blenheim), deprecated criticism of the executive, declaring that probably most of the district associations wanted cleaning out. Mr. Harper (Wellington) said the I executive welcomed constructive eritiIdem. It had done a huge amount of work. After all, the Association must depend on the general public for assistance, and the work of the executive in influencing public opinion could not be over-estimated. He denied the allegation of the Waikato delegate, who said one soldier's pension had been stopped on the report of a policeman. It was the duty of the Waikato branch to have reported the matter promptly, but he bad tellegraphed for full information. Mr. Melling (Auckland) replied that Mr. Clinkard had admitted that Mr. Fox's threat had carried the day. He I urged that vocational training should jbe taken out of the hands of Mr. W. H. ! I Montgomery and placed under the Re- ■ >piitriation Hoard. Mr. Montgomery might get a much more useful post. j •Mγ. Stringer (Waikato) said the Asso- ! ciation was up against the need for direct representation on Land Boards. The motion to adopt the report was carried, and the conference proceeded to ap- ( ' point committees. On the election of the land committee it was protested ! that only one South Island member was i I nominated. The committee was there- , for enlarged to give more even representation. AUCKLAXDERS CAMPLAINTS. Mr. E. F. Andrews (Auckand), speaking at the Returned Soldiers' Conference, said the report was disappointing. Every- ' ; ■tiling the previous conference had instructed the executive to do they had ! I tried to carry out, but they had received the crumbs and the loaf had been locked i; away. The Government had made cxItravagant promises and had not fulfilled jtliem. The retrospective allowances were ,«n essential due to returned soldiers. The j Minister for Finance had presented a glowing report and the soldiers had then seen no reason why the retrospective al- | lowances should not be paid. When, !' i however, the Association pushed the claim they were surprised to find from Sir James Allen that the country was nearly bankrupt, and such a claim was quite impossible of fulfilment. Later! ■•onsideration had been granted, but the' Government had not yet Cone its duty. ! ', The married men did not want a gift ' from the Government. They claimed justice and they must get the retrospective allowances. The soldiers at the front when they committed an offence ■ wore willing to suffer themselves, but the ' Government of New Zealand punished innocent women and children by cutting " off the allowances. The great task of the association was to look after their j disabled soldiers. The Government had ; not done its duty to these men. The ! association had a great task ahead and if : the association did not justice in the ] next year it would never get it. Mr. R. H. Dalhousie (Auckland) i said he regretted that so little had been accomplished by the executive, but the fault lay with Parliament. WAIKATO CRITICISM. Mr. Luxford (Waikato) said the land boards and not the repatriation boards i were doing the work of repatriation, i They were the bodies that had the I handling of estates for cutting up' and without "some pull or bowing to politi- I cal parties'' a man could not get on. The work should go through in weeks instead | of months. The position in regard to pensions was absolutely wrong. An in- ' quisitorial examination was now necessary before a pension was granted and the question was not disability but what a man was worth. Before a pension was reduced or cancelled there should be a proper medical examination- He had a ease in his district where a police officer visited an applicant, "poked around his farm.," looked into the condition of his family and his mode of living, and his pension was stopped. Mr. Luxford suggested the appointment of an exclusive organising secretary. i