"UNDEMOCRATIC"

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 51, 29 August 1917, Page 8

"UNDEMOCRATIC"

PAY OF TEACHER-SOLDIERS

PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT

OBJECTED TO.

"The Education Department should be summoned before the Court for acting detrimentally towards recruiting," was the rather startling statement of Mr. E. P. Rishworth at to-day's sitting of the Wellington Education Board. Under an arrangement arrived at by the Department teachers who go away with the Expeditionary Force as officers are allowed a quarter of their salary, but if they rise no higher than a private they receive nothing. Several protests have been made by the board regarding this matter, and to-day a further reply was received in which the Department stated that it regretted that it was unable to alter the present conditions. Mr. Rishworth held that the reply was very unsatisfactory—one of the poorest replies that could possibly have been made! The protest should be renewed, and forcibly So. Teachers who had gone had sacrificed everything, including the best years of their study. No democratic Government would deny the claim for equality of treatment. He moved the following motion:—"That this board considers the reply from the Department utterly unsatisfactory; that it cpnsiders that the democratic principle of equal treatment for all should be recognised by the Department; and that co-opera-tion of all other educational authorities throughout the Dominion be sought to again urge upon the' Government the necessity for a reconsideration of the matter."

Mr. G. London, in seconding the motion, said there should be absolutely no distinction between the ranks. He hoj>ed the next letter from the board would express its views in no uncertain manner.

Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P., said the question opened up was a very large one, because the Government had not been following the policy of making up military pay. However, the Government would have to face the very soon. It was absolutely fair that all the salaries should be made up by an addition to military pay. Mr. T. Forsyth said the board wanted to sec equality of treatment, such equality as they would hope to find in a democratic country like New Zealand. There was nothing democratic about making a distinction between officers and men.

Mr. A. Mackay said that a deputation should wait upon the Government. Mr. T. Moss asserted that it was quite unfair and unreasonable that any dis Unction should be made. The question involved, however, was a. big one, because in a democratic country one soldier was as good as another when fighting for his country. Mr. W. Allan reminded members that they were not representing the general public. They were out to see fair play for their teachers. (Hear, hear.) A Pfeneral principle might be involved, but he could not go into that. He supported the arguments of the various speakers who wanted equal treatment for all. Mr. Bakewell had reminded him of the reason for the preferential treatment between officers and privates. Early in the war there was a shortage of officers, and a special inducement was given those in charge of cadet companies who had already been trained up to a point. The motion was carried unanimously.