MORE “PERKS" WANTED FOR RETURNED MEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 July 1947, Page 2

MORE “PERKS" WANTED FOR RETURNED MEN

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, July 10. It was time the Government gave former servicemen more of the “perks” it had to hand out, such as occupying “some of those red velvet chairs in another place,” said Mr A. S. Sutherland (Opposition, Hauraki) in the House of Representatives today. Searching the list of the last 21 appoinfifierits to the Upper House, he had been unable to find one who had served his country overseas, said Mr Sutherland, but 20 of them had been either trade union secretaries or trade union bosses, with a fail’ proportion of conscientious objectors or agitators among them. Mr Sutherland said appointments to the Upper House should be made bn the recommendation of the Returned Services’ Association, not of trade union bosses.

“A lot of people say the Legislative Council is useless and, if that is so, it is the council’s own fault,” said Mr T. Bloodworth (Auckland) in the Address-in-Reply debate in the Legislative Courici] today, when he commented upon the National Party’s election, plank to abolish the Council. He said a lot could be done by the Council, as it was at present constituted, to ease the course of legislation..

“Probably the National Party is not aware that in this matter it is in harmony with the Communists of the world,” he said. “In the present state of party politics there is no room for an independent expression of opinion,” said Mr Bloodworth. “I can see that indepeht opinion would not be possible in the other place, but it would be a pity if there were not some expression of that, opinion, and for that reason there is room for a chamber such as this. Theoretically we are of no party, and, some of the speeches here this session have been at least the equal of speeches in the other place.” -