King Country Chronicle Tuesday, July 22, 1919 RETURNED SOLDIERS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XII, Issue 1240, 22 July 1919, Page 4

King Country Chronicle Tuesday, July 22, 1919 RETURNED SOLDIERS.

In bis address to tbe Returned Soldiers on Saturday, the Mayor, Mr G.. P. Finlay, said that as the soldiers bad won Victory for as, their next task was to secure us the blessings of Peace. This is indeed a great and urgent need, and if the soldiers focus their energies on tbe task tbey will not only perform a farther great service for the people of New Zealand, but tbey will discover that "Peace bath her victories no less renowned than war." Extremist doctrines must not bo countenanced at any cost, for that way lies revolution. There is no need to emphasise this, for tbe tragedy of Russia is a painful reminder of this fact. On the other band great reforms have to be effected, and the time is opportune to effect tbem, but sane councils must prevail. All classes must join in bringing patience and reasonableness to bear upon the many complex problems that are to be solved. There is no use sowing the seed to-day and expecting to reap tbe harvest to-morrow, and impatience and hot haste may frustrate everything. It is true, of course, that if precipitate action is dangerous, apathy and indecision are almost equally so. Problems sucb as the rising cost of living, wbicb was said to be primarily responsible for tbe revolution in Russia, land settlement, justice to soldiers and to the widows and orphans of tbe war, educational reforms, currency problems—these and many other muortant questions must be tackled immediately. There is no time to be lost, for these questions have got to be settled, and settled, if possible, by tbe best brains in the community. The soldiers are certain to be a dominating influence at tbe forthcoming elections, and if they resolve to be represented only by men who have real capacity for public service and not by political demagogues, all may be well. It is very comforting at this time to see so many thousands of them returning and reinforcing the manhood of the Dominion—soldiers who have won immortal fame at Uallipoli and in France. Tbe future may look threatening, but so long as we have men of the Anzac breed in our midst, we may well face it with confidence.