RETURNED SOLDIERS

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 129, 31 May 1917, Page 8

RETURNED SOLDIERS

LAND AND ALIENS' LABOUR

THE "SACRED BANZAC.''

An interesting discussion took > place this morning between representatives of the executive of the Returned Soldiers' Association and the Minister of Defence (Sir. James Allen). .4

The deputation was headed by Capt. Pitt, who made*!a particular' point' of the misuse of the word "Anzac" by » certain club at. .Dunedin. As to . the question of iand settlement, Capt.' Pitt said the conference had come' to the conclusion that, if possible, a committee' of. experts should We appointed by the Government to meet a' committee from the Returned Soldiers' Association and go fully into the matter. Mr. Melling (Auckland) stressed the point that a, Minister should be, appointed to take sole-charge of the affairs of the discharged soldiers. Mr. W. Addingham contended that a representative of the discharged soldiers shotdd be appointed to the Pensions' Board. Pre-war disability, he urged, should not debar a man from obtaining a pension. Further, there were the cases of men who had committed crimes before enlisting, and their pensions had suffered in the consequer.ee. Sir James lAllen : You give me the case. . "'■..'■ \

Capt. Pitt: I think he was convicted of bigamy. .' Sir James Allen: Was he tried after he came back? , T

Capt. Pitt: The crime was committed before enlistment.' '„:..■ ' .' ,- .'

' Sir James, Allen: Give'me the facts and I will have enquiry made. '

On the, subject of land for returned soldiers, Mr. Haycock > (Palmerston North), contended that; land should be taken, compulsorily under the Land for Settlement Act. The association was not satisfied with the class of land that was being offered i to the . returned soldiers, and with the way in which it had been subdivided.

Strong complaint was made by Mr. G. Aldridge (Napier) of the use of the word "Anzac" for club, , racing, and other purposes. , "The word is sacred," he said, "and we want the protection qf the Government." j . , "-■ Major Rastrick (Hamilton) spoke on the subject of aliens. It" was not fair, he said,- that enemy aliens should be allowed to follow their usual occupations while our own men were conscripted for service abroad. He contended that many of these men were Austrian, not Slavonic, and many of them were earning large wages on public contracts. It had . been suggested' that if these men were conscripted for home service the Labour party might object. But he,.had to point out that these aliens were taking more away from our own people by taking , contracts than if they^were conscripted for public works and preparing land for returned soldiers.* .-,-'',

MINISTER'S REPLY.

i Replying, Sir James Allen said that, in regard to the appointment of a Minister for-Returned Soldiers, it was known that the Hon. A. L. Herdman was the Minister responsible for discharged soldiers. He thought he had already pointed out the impracticability of placing one Minister in charge of the various departments interested in the discharged soldiers. For instance, they could not place, under Mr. Herdman the administration of the Lands "Department nor the administration of the Public Health' Department, both of ' which dealt with discharged soldiers in different capacities. . The 'same remark ap-, plied to the Education Department and the technical training of the returned solider. He thought there should be one Minister to look specially after the concerns of. the discharged soldier—a Minister who should be in. close touch with his brother Ministers, and able to get replies; from .them at the earliest possible moment. It had not come about yety but it was. coming.

Capt. Pitt

That's what we want.

Sir James Allen: It is in /process of development. I know that the Hon. A. L. Herdman is getting more closely in touch with the Education Department and the Lands Department. A suggestion had been mado foT extra pay for men who wanted to go to training farms for training purposes., As to a representative or.the returned soldiers being placed on .the Pensions Board, the Minister said he would not have the slightest objection, but the board was now complete. If a vacancy occurred he would be very glad to consider the request. ■' . , . ' Cant. Pitt: Couldn't you revise'the board?

i Sir James Allen: The board is doing good work. We will consider it, .The Minister went on to say that .he. could not recognise pre-war disability in every case. If he said that the Pension Board would recognise pre-war disability he would be preparing a method .by which men who wanted to impose on the State would be able to impose it to the full, and there had been a good deal of imposition already. Men had gone into camp with pre-war disabilities never intending to go to' the front. -They had to protect themselves against fraud, and to protect the State against any improper charges being made in the years to ccme. • The ,aim of the Government and the aim of Parliament was to make < the pension scheme so safe, financially and otherwise, that there could be no attacks made on it in, future. As to pre-war disabilities, he ■ added that the Government had'directed the medical officer to make a-specific report to the Pensions Board,in such cases.

Capi. Pitt: The regimental doctor is the best nian to supply.that report. Sir James Allen: I will see what we can do about it. . r , As to the 1 question of land for returned soldiers, he said he would submit the question to Sir Francis Bell (Acting Minister of Lands), and to Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward after their return. According to what he had heard from Sir Francis Bell,' a good many of the returned soldiers would prefer to take up uncultivated land, because the prospects were better. They might, in any case, rely on it that sufficient land would be acquired to satisfy the requirements of the returned soldiers.

As to the misuse,of the word "An; zac," he thought the regulation was eufficient. He would have enqniries made, and submit the question to Cabinet. ' ' .

- Then there was the question of enemy aliens.. As to the .interned men, the Government had agreed to utilise them on road work in the North Island. That project had not been carried out because of the approach of winter. '■' They would not have been compelled to go; they were asked to volunteer. -His personal opinion was that they would be better occupied in making roads than wasting their time on Somes Island. But it was a difficult problem. First of all, they had certain State ' obligations; and they* had to'consult with the" Motherland as to what they did with enemy aliens; because, they did not want to take any action here which would lead to the enemy taking action against our own men.

- 'Captain. Pitt: They, can't 'do any worse than they are doing now. ■ Sir James Allen replied that he had no sympathy with the egemy alien?,' but the subject'"was a. matter for Cabinet, before which it would be brought in due couree. 1