THE TOLL OF THE BUSH

NZ Truth, Issue 692, 21 September 1918, Page 5

THE TOLL OF THE BUSH

RETURNED SOLDIER IMMAN'S DREADFUL DEATH ' A Terrible Tragedy of the Soldiers' Settlement ;\. The Indifference of Defence Department

"■' Tlu &ath by accident of a returned soldiei named J. McLennan has already V>een reported m the press, but it is alleged that there are circumstances m connection with this sad tragedy that ought to he made public The locality m which the unfortunate man's section is situated is very much "out back." The stretcher party, which brought the body out to the Ruatitiroad, where it was taken charge of by an undertaker, to be taken to Raetlhi for a military funeral, had an awful experience. The road into the soldiers' Bettlement of Mangapuruwa, where McLennan waa killed,, is a "formed" (80-called) track, said to be six feet broad, but seldom more than four. and often leas, and mostly quagmire. When the party left- the track they had to carry the body along the bed of a creek, a rough, boulder-strewn watercourse, with varying depth, from ankle to waist-deep, for about two miles, half of that distance never less than knee-deep. The path was so narrow at parts that only two could carry at a time. On the pack track it was out of the water into the mud, but here they could carry m relays of four. We have been told that the Publio Works Department Is "vigorously pushing on" with the formation of the track to the soldiers* settlement. Well, there is a gang of two. roadmen employed, and fudging by the nature of , the country yet to bo traversed, they will be "vigorously pushing "on" for many years to come. Meantime, no doubt, the travelling down the creek * and along this rough track, over which "' all' stores, etc., must be brought, will be enjoyed by the returned men, as it will help to, "keep them fit" and "make 'em hardy." Ex-soldier John McLennan was a taative of Elgin, Scotland. He fou&ht m the ranks of the &.Z.E.F ., and was shot through the lungs m France. He was returned to New Zealand as unfit for further military, service-; Having fought for King and country, he was magnificently rewarded for his patriotism by being allowed to take up a section of virgin forest m the roughest of out-back country.. He was air absolute novice m the bush. Judging from the manner m which he felled the trees, as indicated by the stumps, this was his flrst attempt at bush-felling. Such a man working alone had scarce - ONE CHANCE IN A THOUSAND bf, setting through unhurt. To put a new chum into the heart of virgin forest and rough country, and tell him to hew out a home for himself is a task enough for one physically fit, but to put into such a position a man who \ was not only a new chum, but one who had been shot through the lungs "doing his bit" for a grateful country, is a crime. Yet there are other returned men m Just sue& circumstances now. Unfit for further military service, they ore expected to successfully carry out one of the most ardUbuß and trying tasks a man can undertake. Thero are men there wounded and suffering from shell-shock, and the men responsible for sending them into such wilds ought to be made to vacate their "cushy" jobs and cosy offices and put m a winter on the soldiers' settlement hewing out homes for themselves and carrying m - their tucker and supplies by the track and creek already described. If that did hot teach them something, then the best thing to do with them would be to send them to the knackers. Indeed, when one thinks Of the hardships ■'. which these returned soldiers will have : '~tb bSaivb-fote knowing again the comforts of a home, perhaps it would have been more merciful to have "khooked them on the head." As a proof of the unfitness of these men for the life they have been started out upon, it is pointed out that, although several of them were camped within a quarter of a mile from McLennan, and knew that he was bushfelling by himself, and that he had not come out of his section for a couple of weeks, not one of them thought it necessary to . loolt-,.|iim' up to see if , things were going alright. At last a Sractical bushman casually heard that EcLennan had .hot been seen for over a fortnight, and, thqugh he was fifteen . miles off, this man made his way to the settlement and organised a search party. This, party went m. and found the body of McLennan,- who, it is merciful to believe, had been killed outright by a tree falling upon him. It is awful to think what might, have been his sufferings if he had been merely pinned under the log and unable to get out. The body had the appearance of having been dead three weeks. These facts are mentioned not for the purpose of casting blame upon his mates and neighbors, but merely to show that these people have no bush-craft. Such an occurrence could not have happened had practical bushmen been living near. Besides, no man, more especially one who is a novice and an unfit returned soldier to boot,- should be . allowed to go felling bush alone m such rough country. The Returned Soldiers' Department, m an endeavor to remove blame from its officers, says, "In order to obviate just such circumstances we ADVANCE MONEY FOR BUSHFELLING." Now, that isn't strictly true. To fell the bush on d two hundred acre section, costs from £ 600 to £ 550, plus cost of stores for bushmen for six months. Against this the Government grants £400. It- will be seen that the man without money has to fell at least part of the area himself, m order to draw the allowance of £2 per acre with which to augment the same allowance to pay for the balance. Thus many men are compelled to go into the bush alone. • . The sections m this settlement range from 200 acres to 1500 acres, and each settler is advanced £750 by the Government, which has to pay for falling the bush, grassing the section, building -ft house, and purchasing stock. How this works out on paper, "Truth" is not ; clever enough to tell, but nothing short of divine intervention could ever work It out m practioe. Some of the men on the, settlement, after much hard grafjt and great suffering, have got from 100 to 200 acres felled and grassed, but all their £750 has been vised up, and now, neither the Government, nor the auctioneers will give them any assistance to obtain stock, so that they, are compelled to lease their pastures to their more fortunate neighbors for a mere pittance. The manner in' which the grass seed was supplied to some of these Bettlers. is declared to have been a scandal, and it is hoped that it will not be Repeated. Every practical farmer m the district referred to, gets his grass, turnip, rape, etc., sown before the end of January, and considers it disastrous- to leave the seeding so late as March 1. Acting on practical local advice, the soldier-set-tlers made frequent and urgent appeals to the department for an early supply Of seed. Departmental promises were forthcoming a-plenty, for, like the Government, whatever else may be wanting, all departments have always a large supply of such on hand. The seed-time came, the seed-time went, but no seed- reached the settlement. Further urgent appeals were poured m upon the department, which elicited a furthfer supply of promises — only that and nothing more. In the month of May, and m some cases,. June, the grass . seed came. Thus through the CARELESSNESS OR INCOMPETENCY ef tbe department- officials, these, men,

whose slot is hard enough, God knows, lost a year's feed crop. There was a grim irony about the questions on an Agricultural Department form found m the dead man's hut. Here is a sample: Is your farm productive? If not, why not? Are you making a living off your farm? If not, why not? "Truth," too, would like to ask a few "if nots, why nots." To the Minister of Lands: Are, you going to supply these settlers with grass seed m time this coming season? If not, why not? And the Minister of Publio Works: i Are you going 1 to make a serious effort to get 'that track ; finished this season? If not, why not? And both Ministers: Could not the Public Works and Agricultural Departments jointly engage gangs of experiencid bushmen to fall the bush for these soldiersettlers, allowing each selector to be one of each gang m order to gain

experience m bush-craft and earn a few pounds to help him to procure stock? If not, why not? Another of the many promises made by the department and never fulfilled,, was the installing of a telephone connection with Ruatiti and jPipirlki. Had a telephone run through the settlement such an occurrence, as we have herein reported could not have taken place, as an all round ring-up could be made on settlers every morning and night. "Truth" understands that the cost of installing the telephone would be £100. The Government has money to burn In many ways, but apparently cannot afford to spend a hundred "quid" on behoof of those who have done their "bit" on the battlefields of Gallipoli. and France! If this is not seen to, then "Truth", will have to ask a hundred public-spirited readers of the People's Pape,r to send m a "quid" a-piece that this convenience may be installed for the use, comfort and safety of those men who have done so much for us.