WAIRARAPA R.S.A.

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 56, 29 November 1919, Page 9

WAIRARAPA R.S.A.

QUESTIONS FOR PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATES. By Telegraph-Special Correspondent. Mastcrton, November 28. Mr. J. A. Cowles presided over a general meeting of tho Wairarapa Returned Soldiers' Association to-night. The business was to discuss tho reports of tho delegates to the recent Dominion Conference and general. The Dominion Headquarters of the R.S.A. forwarded a draft of questions to be submitted to Parliamentary candidates. One question which called for spccial discussion was that dealing with tue retrospective pay of officers. The chairman, who said Tie approached the subject with considerable diffidence, detailed the history of the movement to get better pay for Hie officers of tho New Zealand Expeditionary Force, from the timo of the Christchurch conference, when men who lmd been privates introduced the subject.

A statomcnt was read showing that ou the average officers in the field received in pay 33 per cent, less than officers'on the staff wiio had never left the shores of this country, and that New Zealand officers wero tho worst paid in the Empire. The'draft of the question was approved unanimously.

Arising out of a discussion on free medical treatment for soldiers, it was pointed out that the men were at a disadvantage in having to apply to the Defence Office before obtaining permission to visit a doctor. With a view to doing away with this disadvanltig?, the following amendment was added to the question relating thereto, and carried: "That treatment from a military doctor bo available at all ihours, and that the military doctor have power to deal with each case without reference to the Department, and that hospital treatment bo availablo at all times to suit patients. The other questions wcro approved as drafted.

Mr. J. M'Kenzic, one of tho delegates to tho recent conference, detailed his work, and that of Mr. Cowles, in supporting or opposing tho remits as the case might be. The fight on the political issue had been particularly strenuous.

Mr. Cowles said that he must give the Auckland delegates credit for putting np a hard and clever fight for their proposal that tho northern association be sepaiato from tho Dominion executive. But he (the sneaker) was glad the associations wero still united, which was for tho general good. Tho land question had taken up considerable time, but the deliberations might be taken as having reached a satisfactory conclusion. Mr. Whatman's land proposals of 1315 had been adopted by the conference. It was slated by many, said Mr. Cowles, that the association had outlived its usefulness, but he felt that (hero was still room for good work in looking after the wants of disabled soldier's,