BIDDING FOR THE SOLDIERS' VOTE.

Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 274, 21 November 1919, Page 4

BIDDING FOR THE SOLDIERS' VOTE.

Whei Sir Joseph Ward first bega.n to meddle with the gratuity question this journal expressed the opinion that he would be at once outbid by the Labor Extremists, and this is precisely Avhat happened. The great majority;: of the returned, men have, however, we firmly believe; recognised that prudence in the; administration of the country's finances imposed liiiiits upon the ' Government beyond wlich it could not safely go, and although the Labor Extremists may catch a lew extra soldiers' votes here and there their championship of a gratuity of 4s or 6s—-for the bidding .has gone as high as 'that—will not seriously affect the election results. Some very sensible v-remarks on this sulject were made the other night by Colonel Mitchell, an' ■ Independent candidate for.the Wellington South scat now held by tho revolutionary Mr Semplj. Colonel. Mitchell declared that "the bulk; of the returned soldiers were perfectly, satisfied with the gratuity granted by- the Government, and they heldtltatit was their duty to see that the men who were totally incapacitated' v through the war, and their dependants, as well as the dependants.of theia*\CQmrades who would never return,^should .be, adeattately provided, for, by the country. The Extreme Labor Party should not imagine that they could buy the support of the returned soldiers with th« grotesque offer of 4s a day. The returned men would first of all look around at the record-of the Extremists during the: war." The returned soldiers should . certainly "look around at the record.-of the Extremists during the war:" V