THE CITY'S RECEPTION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 16992, 20 October 1915, Page 8

THE CITY'S RECEPTION.

"WELCOME TO CANTERBURY MEN.

MINISTER CONFERS WITH PATRIOTIC COMMITTEE.

A special meeting of the Canterbury Patriotic Fund Confmittee was held in the City Council's library yesterday, when the Hon G. W. Russell, Minister of Hospitals, attended and conferred with the members. The Mayor (Mr H. Holland) presided, and there was a large attendance. The chairman said that the wounded men now on their way to New Zealand would make their arrival at port Chalmers instead of going direct to a northern port. The vesssels would arrive at the end of this month, and the men would come to Christchurch by train. They 6hould be given a fitting welcome. The arrangements previously were not satisfactory in some respects. «Mr Russell said that it was not the fault of the Government that men on previous occasions could not come to Christchurch, without delay. In any case t it was the future that had to be considered now. Each of the two vessels on the way would have about oUU men. One would arrrjve on October 2d and the other, he believed, on October 30. The men, as far as he knew, would not have to go into quarantine, and could come to Christchurch without delay by train from Port Chalmers. The South Canterbury men could' leave the train at Timaru and other towns in their districts. Two bodies would arrive in Christchurch, one immediately after the arrival of the first vessel, on October 26, and the other body four days later. Provision would have to be made for meeting Christchurch and North Canterbury meu here. It waa regrettable that Canterbury had not had an opportunity to give the wounded a fitting reception on the previous occcasions. The sight of the wounded men in Wellington, just after they came off the vessels, when they attended the reception hall, was the most sorrowful and pathetic that could be imagined. The Railway Department, he thought, should keep all persons from the platforms at the Christchurch railway station exoept the men's relatives. Tickets of admission should be issued. Tho Automobile Association, should be asked to provide all the vehicles required to take the men to the reception place. The largest hall available should be engaged. Perhaps His Majesty's Theatre could be used. In that case, tho city organist could play suitable music. There were admirable arrangements in Wellington for the soldiers to meet their relatives. Perhaps something of the same kind could be done in Christchurch. He would like to see the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward and the Minister of Defence invited to attend the reception. The gathering should be national in character, not provincial. He complimented the Citizens' Defence Corps on its woru in Christchurch, and said that in Red Cross work Canterbury had given an honourable W<' +■" th« rost of New Zealand. Large funds had been gathered in Canterbury. A proportion of them could not be spent better than in giving an adequate welcome to the r>rovirtoe's sons,' who had fought so splendidly on the field of hattle. (Applause.) In reply to onestions, Mr Russell said that he he could arrange for the train to arrive at a time suitable for the receptiou. He did not know how many men would require hospital treatment on arrival. Arrangements for accommodation for West Coast men nnd men from northern districts in

Canterbury fiad not been completed. There would be no difficulty in provid. ing accommodation for them until they went to their homes. He would be in Dunedin when the vessels arrived, anq would communicate with the chairman of the committee on that question. As long as the men were soldiers, they were under control of the Dfence Department; when they were sent to hospitals as «ick and wounded they were .'n the speaker's charg?; when they ha<? recovered and . looked for work thej were in charge nf the Hon Mr HercV man, who controlled the special depart m"nt dealing with that phase of th< movement. He did not think that a man's pay 6hould V- reduced while ha was in the hospital. It was inconceiv* able that an arrangement of that nature should be made.

Colonel Chaffsy said that the pay went on exactly the same in hospita? *s on the battlefield, but the practice was to hold it back until a man was convalescent. It simoly • accumulated. It was not always desirable to give full pay to men in hospital, as th?y werfl tempted to snend Rtims unnecessarily. Mr A. C. Maxwell said that in soma cases there was a good deal of delay in Paying the accumulations.

The chairman, in recard to a suggestion by Dr Thackfr that an office fo? wounded soldiers should be opened iiv the city, <»aid that the Citizens^ Defence Corps, with its office in Hereford Street, was doing all that could be ifl that direction. It was extending.man? courtesies to the men who had come back. .

Mr J. J T^utr" 11 R"id' that, some Neitf Zealand soldiers in England were not receiving any pay. .Money was being ••aised in New Zealand to send to the men there. Mr Russell said that he would communicate" with the Minister of Defence, and would bring Mr Dougall's statements under his notice. He was convinced that the publio would be satisfied with the work done by Mr Herdman and his officers to find work for returned soldiers. In his own Department instructions had b-en issued that all positions in connection with lifts slv>uld be. irfven to the soldiers. MrF. W, Hobbs moved—-" That this meeting srladlj accepts the invitation of the Minister to arrange for a fitting reception te returned Canterbury soldiers."

t Mr H. B. Sorensen seconded the motion.

Mr Maxwell kuVI that all returned soldiers should have a badge showing that the-" had ;be?n to the front. Otto man {" Christchurch, who had a bullet in his body, was presented by a girl with a white feather. It was scandalous.

Mr Russell said that he would suggest to the Government that every man who had _ provd himself to be n. worthy soldier should receive - a badge. The motion was carried, and the following oommittee was appointed to enrry out arrangements for the reception :—T*>e Mav«" Onion ] Ghaffav and Messrs Cyrus Williams, F. W. Hobbsi, A. C. Maxwell, G. Harper and J. D. Millton. •