GUARDIANS OF OUR BOY

Evening Star, Issue 16911, 7 December 1918, Page 2

GUARDIANS OF OUR BOY

REPATRIATION CONTROL TOO MANY MINISTERS. SOLDIERS FIND CHAMPIONI [From Ode Parliamentary Reporter^ WELLINGTON, December 6. The Repatriation Bill was further cot sidered. in committee in the House yestel day. Mr M‘Os.lltun urged that the proposed advance of £3CO for re-establishing sol criers in business should be increased fe £SOO. Mr Ell complained of the proposal to, have four Cabinet Ministers on the board. The Prime Minister contended th£ thjare was a good precedent m the Mil? buy Service Board on which there wet three Ministers. Mr Parr: This is a very different job. The Prime Minister: Yes. hut there t more them one- Minister interested in Re patiriation work. Why not have the Cabinet? Bach Minister is interested if it comes to that. Mr M’Callum : Yes; bake the Minister of Public Works, for instance. The Prime Minister; I don't supposf the difficulty would have arisen if it hat not been necessary for me to leave Nef Zealand far a few months, as in the of dinary course the new Repatriation, Dc partment would have been under mj charge. Cabinet came to the conclnsiof that under the circumstances I might main nominally a member of the boarc and that throe other Ministers closely it terested in the work bo members. Mr Brown : T suppose the Acting Bring Minister will be chairman. The Prime M inister: lam not quit? prepared to answer that question at th? moment. Mr Massey went on to saj tlvat the Director of Repatriation wools' not be a military man ; ho would he t man particularly suitable for the position. Members (in chorus) : Ramson. Mr Massey (smiling) • Id happens to 1* Mr Samson ; I think no better man conic bo selected. Mr Tif t; He ought to ho a strong man

The Prime Minister: Well, he is astronj man, and will also have an assistant diveo tor, or something of that soi-t, Mr Itownio -Stewart, in criticising the proposal to have four Ministers on tht board, contended that it would lead tp endless difficulty and trouble if there won four Ministers equally re.spon-s.iWe for t-h; administration of tho Repatriation IDs partment, for which one Minister should be solely responsible. lie indicated hb intention of moving an amendment to th-a’ effect.

The Hon, A. T. Npata supported th member' for Dunedin West, contendinj that unity of command was needed. Hi also ashed why there was no provision- oir the Repatriation Board for returned sot diers. Ho addod: “ They are the me? most vitally interested, and they knot what they want, and, mark you, they wi| pet it. If they don’t get what they wart now they are going to pet it in about hj months’ time. (Hear, hear.) The met whoso interest is at stake and who havf been doing tho work of the Empire af the man whose view should dominate i the present time. THE PAY SHORTAGE.

A number of members made a etroi, appeal in support of the Returned Sc diers’ Association’s request for retrospet tivo pay to married men'who joined th Force while tho lower rate of pay obtained. Mr Deo used the argument that had tho war lasted another month m thing would have been thought of th additional expenditure. He suggested therefore than one month's war expend! turo bo set aside to bring the pay o! these men who patriotically volunteered though married, in th« early days o£ th 4 war, to what was paid to all "ballotted men.

“ Had it not been for the generosity of some private employers many of these married men could not have gone,” said Mr Ptatham, in emphas-asing the claim/ of the men in the Government for pay merit of this short-paid money. Mr Poland said it was remarkable that members had still to press tho Govern ment to do the right thing by married soldiers who had volunteered. If th? war had lasted 10 days more the co? would have been equal to what was he ing asked as a matter of justice te the soldiers. Land settlement of soldier” was a more farce. STONEWALL SUGGESTED. The Prime Minister indicated his hj, lief that the discussion was taking th. form of an organised stonewall, which would prevent New Zealand being represented at (he Peace Con fere.v-e. becausehe was not going to leave the Dominic until these question? were settled, ant the responsibility must root, with tht House. 1 f the House did not like a heart of four, let it strike it out, and the Go vonimont would make other ar,alignments, but for gordners sake let business proceed. As file wax had ended mu' - ' oarlK-r (ban was expected, they hr, .-SI.OXj.O'XI in hand, which would be np pronviated to married men’s allowance!

Tbefo obv'-wntions did not lead t» members applying the clopiiw* to th«n; pp]v >s. and after another p"~tost hy th TTon. Mr Mespey against the “sin™, w; ill,” lie U’mxpectodly moved that, pri £,'ress he ranortcd on the measure, r m this tv ns acrrr-cd to-