RETURNED SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3083, 14 May 1917, Page 6

RETURNED SOLDIERS

SPECIAL MINISTER PROFOSED. Sonio remarks on the statements made by the Hon. G. W. Russell regarding the proposal made by the Returned Soldiers' Association that a Minister bo appointed charged with the special duty of looking after all the concerns of returned soldiers so far as they can he the business of the Government was offered to a Dominion reporter by Mr. John I. Fox, manager of the Returned Soldiers' Club in Wellington.

"I see that the Hon. G. W. Russell made certain statements wfliich are very important/' said Mr. Fox. "So far as the questions of employment in the Civil Service is concerned, no doubt legislation will have to he enacted to meet the difficulty.

"Regarding the appointment of a Minister who shall have entire control of the various problems for returned men and their relatives, the Government may rest assured that the Conference of Returned Soldiers will give such a pronouncement on these and other matters that it will he a lead in the right direction. | "It is highly important that thiß matter should bo attended to whilst there is a National Cabinet in power. I nm very anxious that any suggestion made of this kind should not he dragged in to the arena of party strife, and who can say if tilings are allowed to drift some unscrupulous politicians might not seize the opportunity and make capital out of it. Already the danger seems to be apparent —institutions are being advocated and schemes propounded on behalf, and in the name of, returned soldiers, without even consulting the men who are liable to be used as a pretext for these various ventures.

"Thus energy and publio money might be wasted on all sorts of plausible undertakings. A Minister would control all institutions, in fact everything that is being done for the men and their relatives. That the Minister and his Department will have an unenviable task before him, goes without saying, but at the. same time ho and the publio will have the satisfaction of knowing that the energy extended, will be In helping those who went out to preserve the integrity and safety of the nation. After the conference has met and the Government takes the Heturned Soldiers' Association' into its confidence, the hon. gentleman will not have cause to say that the scheme is impracticable."