THE COMING SESSION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18350, 14 September 1921, Page 6

THE COMING SESSION

RETURNED SOLDIERS’ INTERESTS CONFERENCE WITH LOCAL M.P.’s. ■ The ordinary business which would have come before tne executive of the Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ - Association last night gave place to a conference with the local members of Parliament, at which ma’tters affecting the welfare of returned soldiers •were discussed in view of the approaching session. Mr J. M'Crao presided, and the

district representatives present were the Hon. John MacGregor, M.L.C., Messrs C. E. Statham, E. Kollett, J. M. Dickson, and T. K. Sidey, M.P.’s. Mr M’Crae said the principal question they wished to discuss was that of pensions, also canteen funds. They also wished to touch on unemployment and immigration. He asked Mr Colquhoun to speak on the subject of pensions. Mr Colquhoun said the question of pensions was one of the most important that had been considered by the association. For two years they had tried to get an increase of 75 per cent., but the Minister of Defence' had stated that this was too heavy a burden for the country. After the matter bad been considered by conTercncc it was decided to ask for a 75 per cent, increase only for widows, widowed mothers, and badly injured men. The amount of pensions paid last year totalled £1,886,953, and if the increase of 75 per cent, was granted it would mean £1,415,200 extra. The asso-

ciation had recognised that it would be a difficult position to face, and, taking into consideration the financial stringency, had decided to ask for the increase for the badly injured only. Mr Colquhoun quoted figures to show that 2130 totally disabled me n received pensions last year totalling £126,510, and 23,144 temporarily disabled men totalling £1,225.342. The principal plank in their demands, he continued, was that the pension scale should be regraded, and that a board of medical exports should bo sot up to carry out the regrading. In addition to asking this for the totally disabled, they asked it for soldiers’ widows with a child, or children, and widowed mothers of deceased soldiers, who were vrholely dependent on them. They also asked that temporary pensions should be reclassified, The association also desired to lay clown the principle that all pensions should be awarded on a sliding scale, which should be determined every three years on the basis of the Government’s coat of living statistics

Colonel M‘Donald said that so far as pensions were concerned, they believed the increases for which they asked might not cost a single pound more. They considered that there should bo a maximum of £3 10s for totally disabled men, and that a minimum wacre should also be fixed. They had no desire to tax the country, and thought there were many of those who might be cast aside in favour of totally disabled soldiers. CANTEEN FUNDS. Regarding the canteen funds, Colonel M‘ Donald said they were awaiting further information, ‘and members would be wisely

guided to let it stand in abeyance in the meantime, though they might be called upon to put up a strenuous fight later. Ho pointed out that the fund totalled £116,000 of which £30,000 had been received into the Treasury not more lhan three months before publication of the conference’s statement. , They had been given to understand that the money was awaiting allocation, but had found that it had already 'beeh paid into the Treasury on a. fixed deposit at the low rate of 4 per eent.,_ though they could get 6s per cent, for it in Dunedin, iand, with the local portion-'obviate the whole of unemployment here. They wanted the money taken out of the hands of' the Government and paid to the Canteen Board to be administered in the best interests of the beneficiaries, who were the whole of the returned soldiers of New Zealand. IMMIGRATION AND UNEMPLOY-

MENT. The cognate problem of immigration and unemployment wore dealt with by Mr R. I’. Jones, who said they had found that quite a- number of returned soldiers were being .replaced by men from Home. They had no grievance against these men. but felt that the Government should see that immigrants bad obtained positions before they came out. ,Ke instanced the case of one man who, he said, was paid off by the Railway Department, though next day two immigrants were engaged. They admitted that these men were worthy of consideration, but did say that our own men should have the first chance, and that there should be a restricition. on immigration for the time being while there was a lack of work. He urged iher-: retirement of civil servants who had poached the superannuation age, and that men who had gone to the war :n defiance of regulations should he reinstated; also that .returned soldiers should be given preference for employment generally throughout the country. Concluding, Mr Jones alleged tl;at several immigrants had been taken on iat the- Hillside Workshops within the last six months, thereby throwing our own men out-of employment. Mr M'Nish remarked that though immigrants were nominated by friends, they seemed to- get into Government positions all right. In reply to Dr Harrison, who had taken the chair by this time, and who asked for - specific instances, Mr M’Nish quoted, .“the Hillside Workshops, the Railways, - and the Post Office.’’ T ’ ’ THE REPLIES.

As Mr MacGregor declined to speak of “ what he did not know,’’ Mr Sidey responded..; .Touching on the subject of penipp.ns,, he said he had thought that there jjipV’.a perpetual re-examination of temporarily disabled' men. With a bonus to provide for any increase in the cost of living, he, thought the position would be met, and he-would be pleased to assist the association in , that direction as far as possible. The subject of' immigration and unemployment had been brought before the Acting Prime Minister, and he was under the impression that' word had been sent Home that some restriction should be placed on immigration. He agreed that returned soldiers should have preference of employment, and said he would he glad if Mr Jones could furnish him with the names of those who had been given positions while returned soldiers were discharged or not taken on. Mr Btatham said lie thought the association's requests were reasonable. P.egarding immigration, he explained that there was an Overseas Settlement Committee in England which sent out Imperial soldiers free of charge to the New Zealand Government, hut there was the difficulty that too much was said about the prosperity of New Zealand. He was not taking a gloomy view of the future, but it was not desirable that so many immigrants should be sent out just now. He believed they wore being sent out at the rate of 1000 a month. Regarding the question of war disabilities (which had been raised by Dr Harrison), Mr .Slat ha in said he held that where a man had been accepted for military service, and had not been guilty of wilful concealment, ho should be passed just as for life insurance, and the State take the responsibility. Mr. Dickson expressed the opinion that temporarily disabled men, who formed the majority, would not be willing to have their pensions reduced to increase tho pensions of the.minority. As to canteen funds, he .said it seemed that a gross injustice had been perpetrated on returned soldiers, and they could trust, members to endeavour to see that it was readjusted in a fair and reasonable manner. He thought, there iuight ho some difficulty, however, if the rnopey had been deposited on long terms. Mr Kellett stressed the immigration question. If half of what he was told day by day >yas true it was a, deplorable position. They were told that these men nomijmtcd'had guaranteed positions, but this was absurd. "Who would guarantee positions today? '