PATRIOTIC SOCIETIES' FUNDS

Otago Witness, Issue 3332, 23 January 1918, Page 45

PATRIOTIC SOCIETIES' FUNDS

THE GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSIBILITIES. SIR JAMES ALLEN INTERVIEWED. A deputation consisting of Messrs S. Solomon, K.C., E. C. Hazlett. J. L. Salmond, J. Horn, and A- Stoneham waited on Sir Jamea Allen, Minister of Defence yesterday afternoon to discuss certain matters relating to the activities of tho Soldiers' Welfare Committee and one or two other points. Tho discussion was at times very pointed, and interjections and " cross-firo" talk were not infrequent. Mr Solomon said they were there as members of a sub-committee of 'the Otago Soldiers' and Dependents' Welfare Committee. It was unnecessary to point out to tho Minister that three years ago they raised a large sum of money to bo used for the benefit of soldiers. Since that time, however, their funda had been reduced by £30,000. Roughly speaking, they had been spending for the soldiers about £IO,OOO per year. They felt satisfied that they would not have enough money in hand to provide for the wants of the soldiers and their dependents who were still at the front. When large numbers of soldiers returned there would not bo sufficient money,, and 'they felt that if they were to continue their efforts a further appeal for money would have to be made to tho public There was, however, the doubt whether they would thus be able to get all the money that they desired. This matter had been before the Minister previously, and it was one about which they felt very They did. not come to him in any spirit of complaint whatever—just the reverse. They had done their level best in conjunction with the Government,' and had received many considerations from the Government. They had to thank the Government for the increase in the allowances to the soldiers passed last session, which had relieved the efforts of the Otago Committee. The chief matter they desired to bring under the notice of the Minister related to the allowance of 30s for a suit of mufti to a soldier on his discharge from thj forces. They knew that the Government gave to the soldiers when they oarne •to New Zealand two suits of military uniform and 30s for a civiian suit, but unless their society and the other societies could arrive at some arrangement with the Government on the question of this mufti allowance, so far as the local society at any rate was concerned, they were going to be in serious trouble regarding funds. It would be seen by the order paper of last Tuesday that the Otago Committee had been called upon to give orders for suits of clothes to soldiers in 12 cases, necessitating an expenditure of about £4O. Between £3O and £4O per week was a fair estimate of the amount the committee was called upon to pay. The committee was very careful in giving these suits, and only gave the money for the suits -when they were satisfied that the men required it. Their centre had already received letters from Wellington and Wanganui asking its co-operation on this question. Unless some arrangement could be come to with the Government the Otago Committee would have to do one of two things—either stop the payments or else invest money in soldiers' clothes which they considered should be invested in food or other necessities. He (the speaker) aske,d_ whether there was any need for two suits of "uniform, or whether some arrangement could not be made to give* a soldier one uniform suit and a suit of mufti. He happened to know that the latter view was that of the Advisory Board, which represented the whole of the patriotic societies of the dominion. Another very serious question was that relating to men who were taken away from their daily vocations, put into camp, had to sell their businesses (generally at a loss), were then discovered to be unfit for military service, and then came back upon the funds of the committee. The Government gave them a month's salary. They were not asking for money, but the position had been rendered very acute by the introduction of the CI camp. The fact that a man" was put into the CI camp involved a doubt whether he would be suitable or fit for military service. Evidently there was a doubt in the minds of the men who put them in. There was consequently hardly a day passed that they did not have cases of men who had. given up their employment and then returned. His committee suggested that if any method' could be adopted of tightening up this medical examination before men were_ committed to the CI-camp it would be highly desirable. It also suggested that where men were to be medically re-examined it should be done by some other board than that which first examined them. Mr Hazlett said the previous speaker had stated that his committee was indebted to Sir James Allen and his department for Such assistance. All he could say was that Mr Solomon must have been absent from one or two of their meetings. Otherwise he would know that they had not. made the appreciative remarks about the Minister's department and the 'Minister himself that Mr Solomon himself had made. They thought it was the duty of the Defence Department to provide these suits. It was absolutely absurd to give men 30s for these suits. _ , „ „ "Could they imagine Mr Solomon, K.C., in a thirty shilling suit?" asked Mr Hazlett "or (addressing the Minister), you yourself in a suit of thirty shillings. Why you cannot get it. I know one soldier who has received an order for 30s for a suit of clothes. He says ho is going to frame it and is going to put a photograph of Sir James Allen on top to show what he has done for the soldiers." The speaker continued that a man who went away and risked his life was entitled to a suit of clothes when he came back. The Otago Patriotic Association was spending some £I2OO per annum in suits of clothes. That money should have been provided by the Defence Department. Mr Horn considered < it would be better to give the men a suit, of clothes than an order for . 30s. They were getting clothes under contract at £3 or £4 that otherwise would cost £5. They really could not get a suit for 30s. Sir James Allen, in reply, said this subiect had been before him many times, and had been before 'Cabinet many times. When a soldier came into camp ho was advised to come in his oldest suit of clothes, and he considered that some of these suits were not worth 30s, or anything near it. After a soldier had settled down in camp, and desired to send homo his civilian suit it was sr"+ back at the Government's expense. The soldier went to the front and when ho camo back, he was provided with

two jackets, two pair of trousers, a pair of puttees, a great coat, hat, puggaree, orcap, a kit bag, a pair of braces, two pair of boots, two shirts, two under shirts, two pair socks, a jersey, and a tie. Mr Solomon: The men say the boots are quite unsuitable for ordinary use. The Minister said that on. receiving notice of discharge the soldier received an order to procure civilian clothes valued at JOa from anybody he might decide on. If the soldier desired the order to bo used in part payment of clothes costing more hh could so use it. Ho considered New Zealand was paying more than any other country that he know of. Australia was only paying £1 for her soldier's civilian clothes in addition to this equipment. After some across the table talk between the Minister and Messrs Hazlett and Solomon, the Minister said that they had to adopt some standard of dress —a. tively low standard. They were very anxious to help the soldjer, but he did not think he would be justified in asking tb,» Government to provide more money than it was providing—that was, military and civilian. _ The Government had already under review whether it could see its way to improve the amount of civilian clothing —that was already beinor done. He asked them how much they could afford to drop of the military clothing. They would be . perfectly jprepared to improve the position as far- as civilian clothing was concerned. Mr Solomon: That is very fair indeed. The idea apparently is that the Government may decide to give the returned 80Idier one military suit only, and transfer the cost of the other military suit to the credit of the civilian suit. The Minister said he was vei*y anxious, once a man left the army, that he retained some of the sentiment and associations of the time- he had spent at the front, and he • wanted these men to turn out to parades in a decent uniform. He thought the men, should be recognised, and tbey could be best recognised when seen in uniform. Mr Horn interjected to know the value of the parts of tho uniforms which could , not be used for civilian wear. The .Minister supplied tho details- and the cost, which ran out at about £6 17b. Continuing, he skid he oould not understand what the patriotic- moneys were provided for unless to remove hardships that might arise. The Government was very grateful to the societies. He wanted to say that he believed the Government had done a great deal during the last sessipn to remove the strain upon the patriotic funds, and they had still further removed; the strain upon the funds by' the increase in the pensions, this increase being very considerable. The Government would like the societies to continue to help it, aftd hoped their funds would help to even up any inequalities that might arise. He asked them to continue their, help to the men, v. and he assured them that the Government would do everything to .assist the Patriotio Society. As regards the medical examinations, the Minister said he supposed they had no more difficult thing to deal with, and they had done their best, they believed, to set up independent medical boards. Ho would not say, however, they had adopted a perfect scheme. They had a special board to examine C2 men for the 01 i camp—men. who had experience at tho front and at the camp—who had come with the knowledge of what was required, not alone from the point of medical needs, but also military needs, so they had a double check on them. With respect to the CI camp, he wanted to tell them that it-was fully justified by the results, and had fully justified - the policy. He deemed it just that they should take every man they could who was unmarried, and that if they could they should send him to the front before calling upon married men with wives and children. He was happy to say that the CI ;camp had been a remarkable success, and it would go down to the credit of this country when history came to be written.. They would save, from 1000 to 2000 married men" from going ,into camp for the time being, because they had made 1000 to 2000 CI men medically fit to -serve at the front. There was at the' present moment in the Thirty-fifth Reinforcements one company—F Company—which was composed entirely of Cl men who had been made medically fit, and he ventured to say that they would bear comparison with any company in training at the nresent moment. At least 50 per cent, of the Cl men would be made medically fit for service at the front, and he believed the proportion would bo much higher. He had tried to secure that the single men who could should be made fit, and be sent away before the others. Mr Solomon: But our argument applies to married men who have gone to th© front. Tho Minister: No married man—as defined by the Act—has gone into camp yet - compulsorily. Mr Solomon: Are the 50 per cent, coming back into civil life or going into home - service? / Tho Minister said he did not think they could adopt any sounder policy, and if they had to take away men from their occupations, and they were subsequently turned down and came back, they would be in no worse position than if they stayed in camp and were sent to the front. In answer to a question by Mr Solomon, the Minister said that if a man came back from camp broken in health he was entitled to a pension. Ho was entitled to the same rights as a soldier if his trouble was caused or aggravated while he was in the country's service. He would send an officer down from Wellington to meet the Patriotio Committee and give it full information regarding the Pensions Act. In fact, the War Pensions Board was in Dunedln at the present time. He could assure them that thoso men would be treated generously who were entitled to pensions. Mr Solomon said they were quite prepared to assist the Government in removing any inequalities, but there were some things that they asked them to do that they thought the Government ought to do. The Minister: That is a matter of opinion. He explained certain clauses in the. Pensions Amendment Act. Mr Solomon thanked the Minister for receiving the deputation.