SOLDIERS' DEPENDENTS.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15289, 27 May 1915, Page 9

SOLDIERS' DEPENDENTS.

PROPOSED NATIONAL FUND.

CONFERENCE AT WELLING TON.

(rRE-S ASSOCIATION TTLEGRAIX.)

AVELLINGTON, May 26. A conference of Mayors and district representatives, called by the Mayor of AYellington (Mr. J. P. Luke) to discuss the question of establishing a national fund for tho dependents of- soldiers killed and -wounded at tho front, was held at the Town Hall to dsy. The Mayor presided.. There wero also present: Messrs Fritri. (Mayor of Oamaru), T. B: Williams and Hope-Gibbons (Wanganui), Coradibc (Mayor of. Masterton), Cray and G. Maling (South Canterbury), Crump (Mayor of , Onslow), Baldwin (Mayor of Lower Hull), H. Holland. (Mayor of Christc—ire_), Hill and Lewi, (chairman and secretary'respectively of the Patriotic Society), R. T. Tosswill (secretary of the Christchurch Patriotic Committee), and tho Hon.. J. G, W. • Ait_cn'(Wellington). Tbe chairman, in opening: the -lectin**, t—d the' "resolutions carried at tho patriotic meeting: in the Town Hall on Tuesday week, ' snd pointed out. that it would be-"useless to", interview ike Prime Minister before a tkSnitc —heme had beon evolved. It wa3 proposed that the* Mayors of the four chief

centres and a representative from each provincial district should bo the trustees of tho fund. Many substantial contributions had -be— mado on the understanding that a national fund was to bo established. It might, bo that the Government itself would need to take'steps, as the fund might bo too big a scheme for any executive to tike charge of. Ho was convinced that those who -were not sympathetically inclined towards the proposal ol a national fund would live toregret their view. A fund on a national basis was d«irab!e, as many men Tca-iding in one district had enlisted in another centre. He was of the opinion that the Public Tnistoo should control the' fund, and tbe constitution of the. Beard of; —rustecil would hav-a to be decided upon. '>' ' —r Baldwin (Mayor of Lower Hutt) moved: —"That a national fund be provided for the dependents of wounded soldiers." Speaking to the motion, Mr Baldwin eaid there should be no parochial feeling, as tho men who had gone to the front were not fighting for one particular part of the country;, they had gone to- fight for New Zea--1-U.-1 as a whole. Mr U.-G. Hilli chairman of tho Wellington Patriotic Society, .aid it was only necessary to look at tho casualty lists to see how men from one district enlisted in other districts. Ii was ', ho contended, impossible for local • fund* to be administered at all satisfactory, and * national, scheme should be devised.

Mr Frith (Ma yor of Oamaru) said it was •oin«what of a "relief to him that the idea was for the executive to appoint local comrtittees' to deal with cases in the various districts. This might probably do away considerably with the opposition to central—ation. •;..' » ■ -M t Cray (South C-nterb-ury) supported tho i—a of 'a. fund being established on a -national basis, but said the attitude taken up by.-some d—tricts showed how difficult it would be to mako the echeme*. a national cue. Their future action would depend upon what the Government intended to do in-the way of providing soldiers' pensions, and it ■*»s- desirable that this information should

be obtained. - . . ~ Xlr IL Holland (Mayor- of Christchurch) Pointed out that _-o,ooa had been rai-cd in Chnstchurch, which could not be devoted to * B.tiona! fund. In view, of the fact tha. Otago and Auckland were not prepared to fall into line, it seemed useless to discuss the question of amalgamation. It was. however, desirable that some national scheme -hou— be established at—once to deal with these soldiera who wero already returning d.s-' abled. He waa convinced that if tho fund were consolidated, people would not contribute as liberally os they would do for separate d~tlricts._y Any national fund should be established by the Government, and local —mmittees. could deal with cases which that fund did not reach.

„Mr R. T. Tosswill (secretary of the Christchurch Patriotic Committee) said he was very anxious to see -uniformity, but pointed out that local committees-were necessary to deal with urgent cases. It was absolutely astovndmg to find tho number of married raea who had gone away, and left their dependents completely -unprovided for. He *aw no chance of "the funds being amalgamated

_ Mr J. Coradinc (Mayor of Masterton) said "is committee was of- the opinion that_- the time••,via inopportune to form a national scheme. , Mr AA'illiams (ex-Mayor of Wanganui) said bethought the result of tho meeting would -liErin-te any parochial jealousy. There was no doubt that some uniform echeme should ' ba adopted, so that men would not go to -Ba£_i_r (jjs.rigj jj, preference to theix own,

becaus-3 they would be better treated then

Tho Hon. J.'G.-AV. Aiikcn siigp—Kid that a small committae be set up and empowered to communicate with the Auckland and Otago committees to ace if any -inrversul system could be'established.

Mr Malms (South Ccntcrbury) said ho wished to know how far the Government intended to xo, and how much W.-.3 to bo left to the local committees.

Air Hill -laid many misapprehensions had been cleared away .by the vicwa ventilated. He siijr.!.—ted that an onraniser be cent to other districts to establish unanimity.

The Mayor icmarked that while the present funds were sufficient to deal with the position jitst now, a national fund must be established to provide, for future years. Mr Baldwin then withdrew his-motion, and moved:—"That thit meeting of delegates .ifrrces tliat tho lime has arrived when a, national fund should be established, but in order that lull opportunity may be given to discuss the matter, the conference bo adjourned to a _-'■/> to be firranf-ed." The Mayor: Who is coins- to arrange a conference.? I won't call another one.

Mr Hill stated that some of the delesrates were instnict-fd to vote against a national fund, hut would now like an opportunity of laying the fresh points adduced before their commi'tees.

—-•-..Mayor, (emphatically): The. Government will have to call tho next conference. Mr Baldwin suggc-sted that tho conference be adjourned for a month.

Th<i-Mayor: Then put a motion 'hat the conference 50 into committee to consider some definite scheme.

Mr Baldwin remonstrated. He had a motion bejore the- committee which had not been dealt with, and cxv>r3s-."d dissatisfaction with such treatment. He then left the room, and tho conference vent into committee to discuss the whole scheme and prepare resolution*, to lay before the Prime Minister and the Hon. James Allen

DEPUTATION TO PRIME MINISTER,

_A deputation, representing the "Patriotic Funds' Conference, waited upon the Prin-.o Minister during tne mtemoon and brought tinder his notice some of tlto Tesoiutior.a adopted by the delegates*. The deputation was introduced by the Mayor of Wellington (Mr J. P. Luke), who briefly explained tho object for which the conference hud been called.

The" Prime Minister, in reply, said that, he was very strongly in favour of a national scheme. It seemed to him obvious that tho Patriotic Funds —Jst have a national basis if they were* to be effectively and economically administered, and if overlapping was to bo. avoided. There nijgiit be difficulties. of arrangement, but. regarding tho soundness' of tho principle of a national scheme. thero could bo no doubt. Regarding tho pension-., the Government had given an assurance already that i* would ask Parliament to amend the Defence Act, in tho direction of making tbo pensions scalo moro liberal than it was nt the present time. He could not give details of the Government's Bill at that stage, but ho thought that tho proposals would bo found acceptable by the people connected with tho Patriotic Funds. The Government had not the least intention of shirking its' responsibilities or duties in this matter, but when a proper pension ecalo had been provided, thero would still be plenty of room for the work cf the. funds. The suggestion had been made that tho fiuanci-il position of tho person concerned should' not be taken into account in allocating a pension. That was the principle that the Government had adopted in connexion with Maori War pensions. Ho would like to mane the other war pcn_ions irrespective of private means. Tho cost would bo heavy, but tho people, ho was sure, would cheerfully find, the money.

The Minister of Defence (the Hon. Jamos Allen) entered the room as tho deputation was preparing to leave, and Mr Luke briefly explained to him tho matter- that had been placed before th© Prime Minister. Mr Allen said ha would liko the Patriotic Societies to consider caicfully the proposal to pay the war pensions to veople who did not need them If the man of means wa3 to receive a war pension then thero would be a smaller pension for the man -who had no means, since tho amount of money that the Dominion could provide for this purpose was necessarily limited. '