R.S.A. IN POLITICS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 99, 29 April 1933, Page 11

R.S.A. IN POLITICS.

PRESIDENT'S YIEW.

WOULD MEAN ALTERING RULES.

CASE FOR THE CHANGE.

"The matter appears to me to be one absolutely for settlement by returned soldiers themselves," said the new president of the Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association, Mr. Edward H. Sutherland, when referring to-day to the statement by his predecessor in office, Major-General Sir George Richardson, against the R.S.A. entering politics.

Mr. Sutherland said that the case for political action had" been stated to him by its exponents as follows: —

(1) The returned soldiers and t.ieir dependents form a very large body of electors. (2) The interests of all are common interests. (3) A block vote for those Parliamentary candidates who will support a common policy suitable for returned men and their dependents based on principles of justice will give effect to that policy better than individual voting with no decided plan to work upon. (4) That the interests of soldiers and their dependents are very large and are entangled with a big volume of statutory laws, land settlement, soldier finance, pensions of various kinds and care of wholly disabled soldiers and their dependents—questions of magnitude and vital to the lives of all soldiers, their wives, children and other dependents. (5) That united action through constitutional channels is preferable to single-handed action, and lends itself to well-ordered conduct in presenting political affairs, so far as they affect soldiers, before the electorate. (6) That Australian soldiers have set a precedent.

"Against these arguments," said Mr. Sutherland, "it is suggested that it maycause loss of support from outsiders and dissension among members whose politics, outside soldier politics, may be at variance. I understand those who are agitating for political action do_ not intend to go further than the political aspirations referred to. However, before political action can be taken the rules of the constitution will have to be altered, as it is stated therein that the R.S.A. is non-political. The matter appears to me to be one absolutely for settlement by the returned' soldiers themselves."