RETURNED SOLDIERS’ ASSOCIATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 124, 27 May 1919, Page 5

RETURNED SOLDIERS’ ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL CONFERENCE.

(United Press Association)

At the annual conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association the motion for_the adoption of the annual report was discussed at great length. » Mr Batten(Wellington) . saic * iat land settlement wsa the baiss of repatriation. and re hoped to see a definite policy la ; d down. The association nad come la a stage when it was recognised and rejected

Mr .Amlre'Vrt (Auckland, said the report was disippointuig Respecting retrospective allowances, the married men did not want a gift from 'the Govern raent. They claimed justice, and they must get retrospective allowances. Soldiers at the front, when they committed an offence, were willing to suffer themselves, but the Government of New Zealand punished innocent women and children by cutting off allowances. Mr McManus (Dunedin) said that in the matter of* land there was urgent need for direct representation, for land had been purchased at fictitious values based on war profits. When the association entered a protest, the Government trotted, out a successful farmer and he was always a land-seller and his land was likely to be thrown open. Mr Leadley (Christchurch) said that if there had been one Minister in charge of repatriation,, the matter could have been dealt with' much more expeditiously. Soldiers, he thought, should have' much fuller representation on repatriation and other boards. No one could say that the present Government ha/I been the friend of the relumed soldier.

Mi* Laycbck (Palmerston North) said he thought they ought to ask the Press to he kind enough to let returned soldiers alone on certain subjects. 'Hie newspapers seemed to delight in giving publicity to returned soldiers’ offences. If a man committed suicide, why should it be mentioned that he was a returned soldier. He hoped the conference woixld make representations to the Press in regard to the matter. Mr Jacobs (Palmerston North) said land should be taken compulsorily, and valued. In that way only could the best land be obtained for the soldier. Now Zealand had been described as a bankrupt country, yet it could afford to offer the liquor trade £4,500,000. and could not give the solder what he wanted. The report and balance-sheet were adopted.