RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION

Evening Star, Issue 16824, 28 August 1918, Page 3

RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION

The committer of the Dnmedin Returned Soldiers' Association met last night, Lieu-tenant-colonel J. H. Moir presiding. Twelve returned soldiers were admitted to mcmberelup in tho association. The following transfers wero approved : —E. H. Rocmault. from Christehurch ;W. E. Kilroy, from Rotorua,; A. W. T. o'Sullivan, to Auckland; A. J. Cross, to Timaru; M. Jaeksoni, to Masterton. Tho Uon. D. H. Guthrio (Minister of Lands) wrote with regard to the complaints regarding the rental of the sections on the Westcott Settlement. On making inquiry ho found that, the statement that land adjoininir tho settlement is returning a rental of 3d per acre per am mm, white rentals on the sections in the settlement are assessed at 7s an acre, is misleading. The land described as adjoining tho sctt'emont is a pastoral riin at tho back, which begins at an elevatoon of 2,oOCft and runs up on to Mo"3it Beager and over to tho Pomahaka River, and contains a considerable area of rough broken land of very little value. The present rental of this ran was aesessed over 10 years ago. Tho sections on tho settlement contain a fair area of rich agricultural land, suit-able for | fruitgrowing or for agriculture, for which ' £2O an acre was p-;ia» and the rental of I 7s an acre referred to is the average over the whole section.—Referred to association's Board of Land Experts for report. The Acting Prime Minister wrote with regard to alleged discrimination against returned soldiers in the matter of appointment to and promotion in the Post and Telegraph Department. He stated that no appointments to the permanent staff had been made of men who were taken on temporarily at a later date than September 1, 1914.' Recently four men who had been employed continuously since or before that date/and who had proved specially suitable, have had their_ appointments made permanent. No discharged ' soldier had ben injuriously affected by such ; appointments. Tho Minister explained | that more than 2,C00 of tho department's ; permanent staff wore on active .service. : To fill somo of the vacancies women were j employed when found suitable, and purely on a 'temporary basis. Of the men employed at present on a temporary basis, a j larco number, it was hoped, would be re- j tained at the conclusion of the war.—Re- : ferrod to general meeting of members. [ Attention was directed to (he message i which emanated from Wellington and ap- . peaved in the Pre-? a few d;\yp ago, suu- 1 ing that, as promotions in the iield '' have I had to bo reduced," the Defence Depart- . ment has now decided to award commis- i sions in the Expeditionary Force to most J of the Territorial officers who voce, fly j tried to force the Government to give . them commissions, to which a recent judgment in the Supreme Court showed they j were not entitled.—Tt was decided to point i oi't to Sir James Allen that, by viituc of j their experience and training, the men j with active service experience had a much j greater claim to commirsio is, and were j much better fitted to lead men into action j than were Territorial offkvrs who had "ot ! been to the front; to enter an emphatic protest against the proposal to reduce the number of promotions to men in tho field, | and that the Minister be asked to main- j tain his previous intention to send the offi- | ccrs concerned away as non-commissioned j officers. It was also decided to ask Head- j quarters to support the association in this matter. A member introduced the matter of the j closing of hotel bars in ports on tho occa- j sion of the arrival thereat of troopships I conveying returned soldiers. He said ho had been informed bv an officer who has had considerable experience in connection with the arrival of returned soldiers that it was advisable that, during the time the bars were closed to the soldiers, they should also be closed to the ge: era! public, as the men could easily get all the liquor they required from persons who had access to the bars.—lt was decided to communicate with Sir James Allen regarding tho matter, asking that, if it was considered necessary to close the hotel bars to returned roldiers on tho occasion of the arrival of troopships, thev should also be closed to tho general public. The matter of a certain firm rising the association badge in connection with the advertisement of their goods was referred to Headquarters for immediate action. Mr J. Reid wrote asking the association to arrango for a returned soldier*' football fifteen to visit Cromwell and play a match with the local club in aid of the Copper Trail.—Left in the hands of a subcommittee to arrange for a team. A member reported that certain Dun- ! edin firms were endeavoring to exploit re- j turned soldiers by granting them wages in j accordance with the pensions they were l drawing.—Referred to next general meet- j irg " —_———.