A THORNY QUESTION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10292, 29 May 1919, Page 6

A THORNY QUESTION

SOLDIERS AND POLITICS POLITICAL OR NON-POLITICAL ASSOCIATION. Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, May 28. The much-debated question of political action was discussed at to-day’s conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association. The matter had been given notice of by several remits. The president (Mr D. E. Boxer) asked members to try to understand what they meant by political action as they might have vastly different interpretations. For the purpose of simplifying the matter he moved; that for the purpose of this discussion on Qio proposed political action of the association tho words ’political action’ shall mean action which is concerned with tho election of candidates for Parliament.” He wished to point out that the association already took political action in approaching Ministers or members of Parliament or' laying manifestoes before Parliament. This was perfectly constitutional, and he thought ought to bo continued. The motion was carried.

The Auckland remit: “That the article dealing with the scope of the association be altered by the deletion of the word ‘non’ that occurs in part of the word ’political,’ ” was moved by Mr E. F. Andrews. He said he moved the remit with a deep sense of responsibility, for he felt that on it depended the future success of the association. He was the thirty-first member to join the Auckland branch, and he was then opposed to political action, for he believed it was only necessary to place tho needs of tho men and their dependents before Parliament to secure justice and redress, but for years Parliament had failed in its responsibility. Local associations had redressed thousands of grievances, but the whole result of tho work of the executive had been a big failure except to insure inadequate mufti allowance at the price of selling the claims of the first 29,000 men who returned to the country, lie challenged anyone to show that one of the recommendations had been carried out. It was claimed that the men coming back should be provided with first-class accommodation. “Paddy” Webb, a conscientious objector, was provided with first-class accommodation to go to jail, but the boys were herded into second-class carriages. (Applause.) They had asked for one Minister of Repatriation, but had met with failure. The strongest claim, and one which was supported by 99 per cent, of the people, was retrospective allowances for married soldiers, many of whom would never learn that the association had simply been swept aside and had now been offered as n bribe because the election was approaching, a part of what they asked, and it was offered as a gift and not as a right. JUSTICE WANTED. NOT GIFTS. “We want no gifts, but only justice,” said Mr j Andrews. The, Government had failed to take any disabled man into its employ unless n« could pass a stiff medical examination. The association had been told that the men had little chance of getting clerical situations with the Government, because women were filling thtSQ positions. The wives and children of men who overstopped their leave were punished unjustly because of tho breadwinners’ default. . The dependents had been told to go to tho patriotic societies. “The Government does not give a, damn,” said Mr Andrews, “if that woman is .forced on to the town while tho breadwinner is away.” Realising that every pledge mad© by members of Parliament had been broken, Mr Andrews added, he became a convert to political action, but not to. party action. He supported non-party . political action, and if in one electorate there were three or nioro candidates th® association should place a pledge before them to sign, and if they all signed tho association should tell its members that it was immaterial who they voted, for, but if one of them refused to sign the association should fight to secure his defeat. Mr McGill (Wanganui) seconded tho motion.

Mr Cowles (Wairarapa) moved an amendment that "non-party” bo substituted in the motion for "political,” and Mr Andrews eaid he was prepared to accept it. The president said he thought political action was essentially party action. If the conference, accepted or refused the principle of political action as indicated in the motion it was perfectly competent to decide as to whether the action should be party-politi-cal action or non-party, hut the prime issue was clear-cut political or non. political action. POLITICAL ACTION PREMATURE. Mr Hastings (Temuka) said th© conference mna in labour, and if a political child' came forth it would, in his opinion, be premature, a He really believed in political action, but the time was premature. He would not be in favout of anything that would endanger the vitality of the association. No one could deny the grievances of soldiers, but the Government in a clumsy way would really do what it could for returned soldiers if they were not hampered by party action. Politicians, however, had gone back on their promises and they had no guarantee oven that written promises would he kept. The measure should be deferred till they got the pulse beat of the -whole of the ■Dominion.

Mr Batten (Wellington) said that even if past action had failed there was no guarantee that' the new order of things would succeed.

REFORM ONLY THROUGH POLITICS.

Mr T. Long (Auckland) said the association was set up to rectify the grievances of men suffering serious disablement, but notwithstanding the most earnest efforts of the executive no tangible results had been attained. He could find no other means of reform save political action, because the association had arrived at a dead end. and tne. whole expense of the conference would bo wasted if no action was taken-

Mr Malone (Napier) said the present Government, which had come m for just and unjust criticism, was a national one, and each of the parties in it must share the blame showered upbn it. If action was taken ns proposed they would alienate a largo amount of public support. There were many differences of opinion, and it would causo a split. It would be the first step towards the end of the association.

Mr .Rivers (Hastings) said they must bo very canny and very chary ns to how they used the right of political

action. They might he. used by unscrupulous, pernicious pothunters. Men who would use tho association for the furtherance of their own ends. Xhov would promise their souls or their shirts, and yet soldiers would get nothing. Political action, if it exemuod party action would bo ideal, but if the association entered the arena ot political action it would bo good-bye to all hopes of bringing about the most cherished ambitions of the association regarding tho ro-establishment of the returned soldier. BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND T. OEEP OLA.

Mr Cowles (Masterton) said the question as viewed by. speakers seemed to be whether they 'were going to die of old-age or commit nara-iciri. there should bo laid down a deliuite platform of reasonable demands. home seemed to think political action was going to split up the association. He. did not think such would be the case. Tile only political action they should indulge in was that referring directly to soldiers. They need not bother about such questions as the importation of Asiatic eggs, etc. Let them get the assurance of candidates for Parliament that they would carry out what tho soldiers wanted. They must trust somebody. Political action on lines ‘.aid down by him would result in greater cohesion and not in division. Mr Harper (Wellington) said that success would lie in getting the. general public behind tho association, and with proper organisation and live interest in important questions tho members would spread the propaganda throughout tho country. (Hear, hear.) Many people had subscribed to the association because it was non-political, tind members would be false to their trust if they departed from theii constitution. MUST LOOK TO THE PUBLIC. The Rev. W. Walker (Christchurch) asked what was tho basis upon which the association had been built up. Had not its two principal planks been nonpoliticalism and non-secrotarianism ? H they departed from these they woulo lose the confidence imposed in them by tho general public. There were many grievances to be redressed, but tne public would assist tnem in getting their rights. He was even confident that many M.P.’s were sympathetic, but they had failed to feel the acuteness ot tho problem as the soldiers did.

Mr Pollock (Auckland), who supported ,iho non-party platform, said tho demands the association was making were, not so much for rights as for what the Government had promised before tho men wont .away but had failed to give. : Mosssrs Best (Dannevirke) and McManus (Dunedin) opposed political action

Air Jacobs (Palmerston North) contended that if the association’s organisation were put in order it could wield its power to ensure the proper administration of acts concerning ro.urned soldiers. The Acts were good, but the administration was bad. Ho hoped the remits would be defeated, but if carried he would assist the supporters of political action. Mr Reed (Blenheim) opposed the remits. as returned men could benefit themselves much more by associating themselves with public-spirited men and bodies than by converting themselves into a political body. Messrs Graham (Invercargill) and Brown and Pridham (Wanganui) also supported the remits, the last-named saying that Ije did not agree with tho taihoa, policy advocated by some speakers.

Mr Luxford (Wanganui) said that if they were out only for advantages to returned men he would say, leave political action alone; but they must be idealists to a certain extent, and a new political situation was necessary for tho country was politically stagnant.

ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE QUESTION.

At tho afternoon sitting, Mr Percy Brandon (Wellington) said he understood that under the Civil Service regulations no civil servant could belong to a political organisation. If the association formed itself into a political body every ciyil servant in it would bo obliged to resign. He would strongly oppose the motion if such a disability were placed upon civil servants. He did not think tho time was ripo for the association to form itself in.o a political association.

Mr Washer (Tauranga) said there were a number of members of the association in the military forces, and, according to the Army regulations, no soldier was allowed to take part in a political action, and the association would lose a number of very able members if it formed itself into a political body. Mr N. B. McCallum (Christchurch) said that tho men who. had gone away had all shades of political opinion, and it was doubtful whether on their return they could be espeded to see eye to eye with one another on party politics. Rather they would stand- by their old political beliefs. It was treading on dangerous ground to depai a from a policy which had tho unanimous approval of the public. The association should apply itself to - constructive schemes for the genera l , good. Mr-Witty (Xdsnn) paid that the only bond that was holding the association’s members together wan the fact that they had al! seen active service and that they were all out for the good of the men who had-gone to the war and had returned injured and their dependents. The danger of division if the motion were carried was very real.

Mr Lendley (Christchurch) said he could see, in tho remit nothing to ho afraid of, and he had heard nothing, of sufficient importance in the debate to influence him to vote. They should remember at the next election that there were politicians who had sacrificed the soldiers’ interests to parly politics. THE REMIT LOST. After further lengthy discussion lasting until nearly 7 p.m., Mr Andrews, in replying, said that objection had been made that if. tho motion were carried it would result in the association being cast in the melting pot. He questioned whether that would ho altogether a disadvantage. He had no doubt many returned soldiers would stand as candidates at th.o next election, butt they ought to have tho association as a body behind them. With regard to the statement that returned soldiers could not get Government employment if a member of a political body, if that was true ho thought it n damnable disgrace that such a state of things should exist. On a division the remit was rejected by 60 votes to nil. The announcement of the result was received in silence. Mr Andrews said he thanked the opponents of political action for their sportsmanlike attitude towards the remit, and his side was beaten but not discouraged; hut there would ho no split. (Applause.) Ho intended to work fairly to reverse the decision in the next conference.