BACK AMONG THE DIGGERS

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12195, 21 July 1925, Page 4

BACK AMONG THE DIGGERS

PRIME MINISTER CHEERED TO THE ECHO BY EX-SOLDIERS URGES ALL TO HELP THOSE WHO FOUGHT i “WE MUST NOT FORGET WE HAVE OUR INDEPENDENCE TO-DAY” By Telegraph—"Time*” Special Reporter. ' PALMERSTON NORTH, July 20. The Prime Minister, the Hon. J. G. Coates, paid his first official visit to Palmerston North to-day, and he was not in the town many minutes before he was among his old friends, the Diggers, in the Soldiers' Club. He was cheered on entering the building and cheered on leaving it, and in his short stay among them he made an impression that must have been gratifying even to the plain, straight-going Hon. J. G. Coates.

After the Prime Minister had been cheered, hand-shaken, and generally made as welcome as a king, Mr Bert Jacobs made a short speech, formally expressing the pleasure of the ex-sol-diers in having Mr Coates among them. Mr Jacobs mentioned that Mr Coates was the first soldier from the late war who had "been elevated to the high position of Prime Minister of one of His Majesty’s Dominions. “We cordially welcome you, and we feel that we are a little bit of you,” was how he put it. Mr Coates, he added, had a difficult task ahead because he followed in the footsteps of Mr Massey, a taan who had been in many ways distinguished, and who had gone to the hearts of everyone. He hoped Mr Coates would have a most successful term of office, and he assured him that big things were expected of him for the returned soldiers. They hoped for the completion by him of the policy laid down by Mr Massey. Mr. Jacobs mentioned that there ,were present that day men who had taken an interest in the foundation of the club, notably Messrs Percy McHardy, Charles Louisson, James Arthur Bennett, James Nash, and Colonel Pringle. Mr Coates said he could not express tho pleasure he felt at being present among the ex-soldiers and in being made so welcome by them. It was a great source of encouragement to one who was endeavouring to take up the work of the late Mr Massey. Throughnut New Zealand’s darkest hours Mr Massey had never wavered. Ho was the cheeriest soul, the most confident and optimistic, and when he spoke he had the whole_ country behind him. He brought his little country through in o way which made for it a name throughout the whole of tho Empire, and he set a fine example for anyono to follow. Mr Massey’s was a policy of brood Imperialism, and we all agreed with it. Mr Coates realised very thoroughly tho difficulty of endeavouring to fill the shoes of one who had found his way into the hearts of everyone in New Zealand, whether they agreed with him politically or otherwise. A change, however, had to come, and if his effort would onable him in some way to fill the place vacated by Mr Massey he would not fail for lack of sincere efforf. MUST STICK TOGETHER Mr Coates congratulated the exsoldiers on keeping the club going. It

was a matter of importance to the men who had served that such institutions should be koprt together, and he congratulated those who had helped to that end. . “After all our comrades’ welfare is this concern of all of us. We were all mixed in the scrap together, and it is for us now to stick together and use our best endeavour to help the chap who is finding it a bit hard to get on. I am quite sure we will succeed, so I congratulate you on keeping your association together. I think it is the concern of all of us that the man who did tho jdb must have recognition, and I think ho mnst he the first consideration of any loyal Government. We know Now Zealand recognises what was at stake, and we must not forget it. We have our independence today. . We would not have had it if we had not bucked in and done the job at the time. It was a big sacrifice, but no sacrifice is too big for the Constitution We have, and I hope we will never allow that Constitution to go. We believe it provides liberty, freedom, and offers the most democratic form of government to be found in any nation. I believe tho ex-so;-diers will always be found ready to protect the liberty we enjoy under the British flag, Mr Coates said that a great deal had been done for the returned soldiers of New Zealand. Somewhere about thirty millions had been spent in establishing them in businesses of various kinds. All the men helped had not been a success, hut that was not necessarily the end of the matter. These men have taken up something to which they were not suited, and there were other lines .in which they might quite well succeed. In the meantime if there was a man hard up they mnst try and find him a job somewhere among them. It must not always be the Government who looked a-fter the men. It was a matter of all helpine, but if necessary the Government would help in regard to those who were disabled. The annual oost was about £200,000, but unfortunately it was a disappearing amount for the men were passing away. Whenever anyone came acrossi a case in which they thought justioe Had not been done they should take it up,- and perhaps the Government might be able to help a little more. “I hope,” he concluded, “those here today and the other veterans will find the path brighter as the years go by. Speaking for the citizens of New Zealand. I nay they- appreciate what the soldiers have done, and they are willing to help wherever they can.”