HOME SERVICE LEAGUE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10639, 12 July 1920, Page 3

HOME SERVICE LEAGUE

WAR BENEFITS CLAIMED MINISTERS WAITED ON BY DEPUTATION. "JUSTICE WILL BE DONE." The claims of the home service men for greater recognition by the Government were placed before the Prime Minister, the Minister for Lands (the Hon. D. H. Guthrie), and the Minister for Defence (the Hon. J. G. Coates) by a deputation from the New Zealand Home Service League on Saturday morningr. Mr R. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs), who introduced the deputation, said that a.bout COOO home service men, who had desired to fio to the front but had been held back on account of their special abilities in various directions, were concerned in the claims mado by the league. Mr E. Vino (Wellington), chairman of the. central executive of the league, Btated that the deputation represented, not Wellington only, but the whole of the Dominion. Reading the petition to be presented to Parliament by the league, which requests that the benefits given to members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force should be extended also to those men who were not allowed to embark for active service, he explained that while the payment of a gratuity was asked, that was by no means the main object of the petition. NOT SHIRKERS.

What the league desired most wan that the stigma of being shirkers cast upon the home service men should be removed. The Prime Minister remarked that ho did not think that that slur had been cast upon them to any extent. Mr Vine stated that, as compared with returned soldiers, homo service men were wat a disadvantage on the labour market. When they approached the Repatriation Department, the reply was that the department could do nothing for them. "How many home service men are unable to get work?" asked the Minister for Defence. . Mr Vine replied that he could not give specific instances. He quoted, in conclusion, the order issued in 1915 by Lieut.-Colonel Pilkington (Adjut-ant-General) to the Permanent Staff, pointing out that the men who were compelled to remain at homo were just as much fighting for the Empire as those fortunate enough to be drafted overseas. " , ..", v\ Mr William Bell ' (Chnstohurch) urged that the home service men had done a groat deal more than many men who had been drafted overseas but never saw the front, and were merely a drain upon the army. The Minister for Defence asked whether a, great number of the home service men were physically unfit. Mr Bell stated that they must either have been physically unfit or must have possessed special qualifications which led to their being kept back as instructors. PROMOTION AND "THE OTHER THINCJ." The secretary to the league (Mr Harold Elliott) said that he could quote numbers of cases of men who had suffered hardship through.. being on home service- This was particularly the case with men who went into camp as fit A, and sold their businesses, only to be classed unfit just before their contingent sailed, further, Staff Corps men held back in New Zealand had not the same chances of promotion and distinction as their comrades who went to the front. The Hon. J. G. Coates observed that the man wlio went overseas also had a very good chance of going out altogether and over 40 of the Staff Corps had been killed. Promotion was there all right, but so was the other thing. Mr Vine said that the league did not want to discredit! in any way the work of the men who went overseas. They had the greatest admiration for the men who went into the firing line. Their only regret was that they had not been able to go with them. Mr Elliott remarked that he was a returned soldier himself. He urged the case of the home service man' c»n the ground that it had cost him just as much as the man in France to keep a wife and family. "JUSTICE WIH. BE DONE."

Congratulating the spokesmen on th Q ability with which they had put their case, Mr Massev staved that he had not known before that so ruuoh was involved in it. He was glad that the league had decided to petition Parliament, as their doing so would able them to go before the JDetence Oommttee of the House and put their evidence before it. it was much better that they should go before a Parliamentary Committee, as it. was impossible for the three Ministers projtfent to decide the matter on the oyi--denco. ■ "Tremendous claims,'' he said, 'are being made on the Government, but justice" will bo done to the best of tjlio Uovernment'» ability, and the Homo Service League can rest aseured that it will get justice." With reference to the question ot the coat to the country, the Minister lor Defence 6tated that the figures before him showed that his side of the bill—including gratuity, £201,000; '•>■ mufti allowance, £42,000; and children's allowance, £40U,000-would total about £650.000. £5,000,000 MORE.

The Hon. L'. H. Guthrio said that it was estimated that to extend the benefits of the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act to homo service men and South African veterans would cost an additional £8,000,000. Thoy could not afford that at present; but the departmeut hoped that the. time would come when the privileges of the Act could bo extended. It was impossible | to extend them at present; the return- ; od soldier must ho given first consideration. But, as a matter of fact, fit men, who had been held back against their wishes were eligible for the land benefits. He thought that the league would do better not to prc6s its claim at present, but to wait. Mr Bell: .Wo can take, it, then, that you support the principle, provided money and land aro available. Tho Minister for Lands: Yes. Even if you were- not in the- military I would do so. because I wane to advance closer settlement.