N.Z. RETURNED SOLDIERS

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 33, 8 August 1921, Page 10

N.Z. RETURNED SOLDIERS

TREATED BETTER THAN ANY

OTHERS.

(IT TELEGRAPn.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

FEILDING, 7th August.

Major-General Russell, as president of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, visited Feilding yesterday, arid inspected the Kopane and Fairfield Sol-; dior Settlements. In the evening he was tlie guest of the local branch of the R.S.A.

In the course of a speech the General said that the New Zealand soldiers had. been treated better than any others in the world, largely owing to the activities of the R.S.A. They still had to. watch over and care for the disabled and the dependants of the fallen. They also had a duty to the country The Dominion was going through a bad time, and needed economy and efficiency. They must tighten their belts and hold on. Men nowadays were only 70 per cent, efficient. To make their country go ahead they required more efficiency. Referring to the canteen fund. General Russell said he I proposed that this £100.000 should be used to benefit disabled men and their dependants. He was not in favour of the Government's taking charge. He thought that this money and the patriotic'societies''funds'should be lumped together and taken charge of by a small committee having the confidence of the soldiers. He concluded by calling on soldiers to do their best for the country. ' "If the country owes a debt to you," he said "you also owe a^ debt to the country."