THE PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Southland Times, Issue 17664, 23 February 1916, Page 6

THE PATRIOTIC FUNDS

TREATMENT OF RETURNED SOLDIERS. THE MAYOR’S CHARGES. MEETING OF COUNCIL AND COMMITTEE. SOME PLAIN SPEAKING. Last night's meeting of the Patriotic Committee was attended, by invitation, by His Worship the Mayor (Mr I>. McFarland and Crs John Stead, I. L. Petrie, Andrew Bain, W. Martin. K. Dimlop, T. I'. Lennic, and J. F. Lillicrap. Before the ordinary business was commenced the chairman (Mr A. M. Rodger) stated that they had got to have some discussion with the borough councillors and the mayor (Mr D. AlcFarlane) who had been by letter invited to be present. The Council had been good enough to accept the invitation, and all he needed to do was to ask the Mayor to reiterate the statements he had made through the newspapers or verbally, in order to clear up a matter which had had a detrimental effect on contributions to the patriotic funds. He then called upon the Mayor to substantiate the charges he had made. The Mayor said that it was not the first time ho had been on the pillory, hut he assured them that nothing gave more vindication for what he had said in regard to the wounded soldiers. There had been a feeling of distrust abroad. When the returned soldiers had made their complaints to him, theyvwero not being treated as they should have been. That was known all over the town, and the young fellows had come to him to obtain redress. At the welcome home to Corporal McLeay he had mentioned that the funds had not been administered in that kindly and sympathetic manner In which the money had been given. The money had been given so that wounded soldiers would receive sympathetic and kindly treatment, instead of being objects of charity. He regretted that many who had come to him had stated that they had not gone to the patriotic committee for charity, although they bad been treated as if they had done so. He knew that the opinion was from one end of the country to the other that the soldiers should not be treated other than sympathetically. He did not think that the newspapers had done him justice when Mr Campbell, on behalf of the Patriotic Comittee. took up the cudgels. Portions of his letters had been carefully excised, while Mr Campbell was allowed to say what he liked. That was not fair journalism. He had got the citizens committee to fight against, but he did not care so long as he had justice and right on his side. It was a very bard matter to get the young fellows to come forward and give evidence. But take ’s case. He had applied for assistance, and had been medically advised to go to Rotorua His father hadgiven him the money to do so. Since then the lommittee had thought better of their first refusal to help, and had sent a letter to the father offering £lO. The father refused to take the money as a donation, and he (the Mayor) gave him credit for having done so. He said the letter from the committee, dated February 11, offering the sum of £lO, and the answer by the father. That was, he said, since he had made his comments, which had done good, not only in that particular case, but in regard to others also. He read a letter from Sergeant Paul McQuarrie, dated February 22. That young marv had come to the speaker the previous week on the street. He said: “Mr McParlane, we have been talking about you, and I have came over to say, as a deputy from the other returned soldiers, how pleased we are with the good you have done to us.” The letter he received from Sergeant McQuarrie read as follows: —

“I would like you to know that your efforts on behalf of the returned soldiers have been the means of considerable improvement of their treatment at the hands of the powers that be; but still I have yet to hear of a case in which they have helped without first being approached by the man himself, which is a wrong state of things and should be altered. I may state, Sir.that I have not yet heard a returned soldier say anything but praise about your efforts on their behalf. I have heard that from dozens.”

That showed, continued the Mayor, that since he had made his remarks on the question an improvement had taken place. He had made the remarks, not thinking that they would have been the means of making things go so far as they had done; but they seemed to have ruffled the feathers of the Patriotic Committee. Throughout the town they heard on every side complaints of the treatment to returned soldiers. Mr Rodger said that he would like to» know of some specific cases. The Mayor said that he could assure those present that, not only one, but a many of the returned men had coipe to his house and complained. He could not remember all the names, but , of North Invercargill, was one. Many he had referred to Mr Campbell.

Mr Campbell: No soldiers ever came to my office mentioning your name until one came yesterday. The Mayor said that many of the men had asked him to interview the secretary for them, Mr H. tV. Royds, chairman of the Relief Sub-committee, said that he had listened to the vague charges of which the Mayor had made so much, but which were so little founded on fact. His Worship’s general statements had boiled down to one specific case. He would ask the meeting to remember that they were not dealing with Mr McFarlane as a private individual, but as Mayor of the town. It was charges made by the Mayor, the Chief Magistrate and leading citizen, that they had to answer and there v/as no personal feeling. He had taken over the work of chairman of the Relief Sub-committee from Col. J. E. Watson, who was compelled by illhealth to relinquish work in which ho was greatly interested. The case of Lance-corporal mentioned by tlio Mayor had come first before Col. Watson ami subsequently before the speaker. He had a complete explanation to make. He did not altogether like to drag in any soldier’s name, but he must in justice to the committee state the facts. Lancecorporal had waited on Co. Watson and stated his case. He would like to state clearly the position of a soldier who returned from active service. When he returned he was medically examined. If he was not discharged lie contined to wear his uniform, and while he wore his uniform, he was in receipt of his pay. If he was entitled to a pension the regulatkms required that he should make personal application for it. That had nothing to do with tile committee. Lancecorporal had laid his case before Col. Watson, and the speaker. He was living at home with his parents, most estimable citizens, who were proud to have him in their care as his father had said in his letter to the Mayo:-. He was not in need. It was not correct that he had been recommended by the Medical Board for two months’ furlough or to go to the North Island. Mr Royds quoted from the official reports the date of the Lance-corporal’s return, of his discharge, and of the granting of his pension, together with the terms of the medical report. Lance-corporal had been offered a position in the local defence office, had first accepted it and subsequently declined it on the ground that he preferred to go to the North Island. Mr Royds read Major Crowther’s report on this point. He did not know how Lancecorporal hart come to make certain statements (probably there was some misunderstanding), but the official documents lie had quoted showed that these statements were incorrect. In coming to a decision in such cases members of the committee hart to remember that their duty was to administer the fund faithfully and well, and he would point out that the big fund raised by the Queen Carnival movement had not yet been touched. The present committee Pad no power legally to operate on that fund —the machinery for usingyt was at present being set up—and they were using the small fund raised before the Carnival. It was their duty to administer tlie fund with due regard to all the claims that might he made against it, and both Col. Watson and himself had been of opinion that Lance-corporal

a-as suffering no hardship. He did not consider that Lance-corporal had been neglected in any way, and he had laid fully before the meeting the reasons for what had been done. Apart from this case the Mayor had dealt purely in vague general statements. In regard to which h© did not think lie could do better than read an unsolicited letter from the Returned Soldiers’ Assertion. The soldiers were now return-

ing from the front. Naturally they wore jealous of their rights, and they had handed together in an Association to protect their interests. From this Association the following unsolicited letter had been received:— Southland Soldiers’ Club, 11th February. To Mr Chas. Campbell, See. Patriotic Committee. Dear Sir.— I have been instructed by my committee to express thanks to tiie Patriotic Committee for their generous offer to assist, in regard to Soldio.rs' back nay. lam also instructed to convoy to your committee the appreciation of the Returned Soldiers’ Association, for tho services already rendered to returned soldiers, and to express gratiir.de for the adequate and prompt manner in which all eases liave been received that have come under the notice of your committee. So far as this Association is concerned it knows nothing of any case where a soldier has not received full satisfaction from the Southland Patriotic Committee. —Your faithfully, D. RITCHIE, Hon. Sec, Returned Soldiers’ Assn. Tho Mayor: Whai date is that? Mr Royds: Pith February. Tho Mayor: That bears out my contention.- —(Laughter.) Mr Royds, continuing, said that so far as his work was concerned there were certainly cases that called for sympathetic treatment (all cases should be treated in that spirit) but it was incorrect to say that they were not attended to. But these cases had to bo brought under the committee’s notice in some way. and tho person who received official notification of the impending return of soldiers, namely, his Worship tho Mayor, had never once thought it worth his while to advise the committee of the men's return or to invite them to meet the soldiers at t’ae station. The Mayor: I’ve never received any telegram that I have not at once passed on to tho committee —at once. I ask the secretary to bear me out in that. Mr Campbell: I have not once been officially advised by his Worship of the expected return of parties of soldiers. Tho Mayor; Good Heavens! I appeal to the Town Clerk. Mr Walker; 1 fancy I have telephoned once or twice, Mr Campbell: Sometimes I communicate with Mr Walker by telephone, but what passes between us is not treated by me as official. I have had no official communication from the Mayor at any time. Tho Mayor: I have been present with Mr Walker when be ’phoned you. Mr Campbell: Wc have been getting our own advices from Dunedin. What happened when the last men returned no later than last week The Mayor: I have done as much patriotic work as anybody in this town. Both Mrs McFarlane and myself have worked clay and night in connection with the work. Resuming, Mr Royds said that did not question tho Mayor’s statement, but whatever work he did was done in a private capacity. Though lie was Mayor and a member of the Patriotic Committee he had never attended a meeting, lie had never brought cases under the Committee's notice. In fact, the Mayor had never reported a single case. He was sorry to have to say these things, but tho responsibility rested with the Mayor. They were ail doing their best to assist the wounded and sick soldiers, and it was the plain duty of the citizens to report any cases that came to their knowledge. In a much greater degree that was the duty of their chief citizen, the Mayor. It had been their earnest desire to do all they could for the men coming back, and personally ho had done his best. The members of the Committee did not feel called upon to resign simply because of this vague general criticism, but if he was not competent for the position he occupied it was the duty of the citizens to put him out of it and somebody else into it. They were all busy men, but they left their own work at any time of the day to attend to the soldiers. They did not ask the soldiers to come at fixed hours, but invited them to come at any time, and attended to them at once. Many of the cases called for inquiry in the public interest, as they had always to remember that they were trustees for the public who subscribed tho funds and for the soldiers who were to benefit from them. Mr Royds then referred briefly to the case of Sergt. McQuarrie, who had written to the Mayor, It was no doubt very nice of Sergt. McQuarrie to go to tho Mayor, but so far ns they knew he had no grievance. He had been an applicant for a position under the Bluff Harbour Board and did not get the appointment. They might have heard something of the case. The fact was that Sergt. McQuarrie had not received his discharge, was still In receipt of his pay, and could not have taken tho job. Mr Royds concluded by saying that the Committee had looked after the returned men to the best of their ability, and he thought that the letter from the Returned Soldiers’ Association was evidence that they had not been unsuccessful, and that their efforts were not unappreciated. —(Applause.) Mr J. Gilkison said that, like the rest of those present, he was very sorry regarding what had occurred; but he could only endorse what Mr Royds had said. There were somewhat over forty men who had made application, and they had all got what they had asked for. While a man wore a uniform he was in receipt of pay amounting to 7/- per day, or 49/- per week. In every case where assistance had been asked for that assistance had been given, and he challenged any statement to the contrary. The Mayor said that relief had been granted after the men had'given a bond in connection with their future pay. Mr Gilkison said that when a soldier asked for ap advance, he came in with his pay-book—Corporal Ritchie was good enough to send them along—and he signed for tho amount received to be debited against his'pay. The Mayor; What do you do with the fund? Mr Gilkison said that the Mayor’s query showed his crass ignorance of the. whole thing. Until both town and country had decided in regard to the Queen Carnival Fund it could not be administered. Tho Mayor: And during that time they may starve. Mr Gilkison said that ho resented the term "charity” being applied to the money advanced to the returned soldiers, and if it was tendered that way to the men those who did so would be promptly snubbed. They wore not recipients of charity. The Mayor: And they are from respectable families. Mr Gilkison said that that was true, and it was the first time lij: could agree with tho Mayor that night. In regard to the money paid for the equipment of officers, of which the Mayor had complained, the Government had previously made an allowance of £2O to each officer. To begin with that would be quite amide, but accessories were needed, which they knew would liave made some of the men leave the dominion in debt. They might think that that was a class payment, but in every reinforcement selected men had been recommended as N.C.O.’s. Instances had occurred iu which some of these men had been given commissions pure!} - on merit, so th*t the position arose that an officer in such circumstances was no better off than a private, lb- could mention names in that connection, hut i twould be insulting the men if lie did so. They had passed the necessary examination through diligence, and was it not right that the vote complained of should lie made. The Defence authorities had since raised the allowance to officers tor their equipment, and that surely was a justification for tiie action taken by the Committee. Speaking at tiie invitation of the chairman. Mr R. .1. Gilmour said that lie had had occasion to investigate a number of complaints made by or on behalf of returned soldiers. First, however, lie would like to refer to the Mayor’s statement that certain portions of the letters sent iu by him for publication iu tho Southland' Times had been excised. That statement was correct, hut the only portions excised were purely personal references to (he secretary of the Patriotic Committee which had no bearing at all upon tho question at issue. Ho was not prepared to give publication to irrelevant and offensive personalities. As to complaints that had been brought under ids notice tho first was that of Tpr. , formerly an employee of the

Corporation, who had recently returned from the front, where he had been seriously wounded. The trooper’s father had complained to him (Mr Gilrnour) that his son had been unable to obtain any satisfaction from the secretary of the Patriotic Committee, and at Mr Gilmour’s suggestion they investigated the matter there and then. The first discovery was that the trooper had never seen Mr Campbell and the trooper had later explained that his father was under a misapprehension in thinking that lie (the trooper) had seen Mr Campbell personally and had been unable to obtain

satisfaction. The father said that he must liave misunderstood his son. They next communicated with Mr Boyds, found that Tpr. had been there, that his application for an advance against his pay had been approved, and that lie had been passed on< to Mr Gilk;son, who was iu charge of these payments. Reference to Mr Gilmour showed that tlio trooper had never called on him. The father got into touch with his son, they went to Mr Gilkison and the assistance needed was obtained in a few minutes. The father had persona.ly expressed his appreciation of the experience he had gained in the course of the inquiry, which, he said, had given him an insight into the working of the Committee and had satisfied him that the work was admirably carried out. Ho said that ho had gained very usciul knowledge, and that if he heard complaints ho would know how to answer them, and if necessary how to get them remedied. Anothei case was that mentioned by a correspondent who in all good faith had cited what he believed to he a case of hardship. The correspondent’s letter was published and the soldier referred to, Corporal , had called the morning it appeared to make a statement. His right arm was in a sling, but lie had dictated a statement which was signed with Ills name and published. 1 hat statement showed that Corporal had been sought out by the secretary and assisted in a way which had earned his gratitude. Mr Gilmour said that these were two of the cases which had come under his notice, and they might be of interest to the meeting as hearing upon the matter under discussion.

Mr M. Thompson, chairman of the Discharged Soldiers’ Information Department, said that in cases that were required, suitable positions had been found for men. Work now, however, was fairly plentiful, and if that had not been so his department would have been much more busy than it had been. Men had expressed their gratitude for what had been done for them. One man. although offered a job at 9/- per day, did not take it, as he had been offered work elsewhere, hut he had said, however, that he had been better treated than he had been in another town. The wants of the men had been attended to so far as the Committee could attend to them. The Mayor’s remarks did not apply to his department, but he wished to emphasise previous remarks that a man who wore uniform in the street was in receipt of full pay. He was quite sure that the men had been sympathetically dealt with as those present would wish. He had known his Worship as a good fellow for thirty years, but the ‘ Mayor had started to quiz the Committee, and he must be prepared to he quizzed by them. He objected to the Mayor’s criticism, not in his private capacity, but as Mayor. In northern towns Mayors had taken a prominent part in the patriotic movement. .lie did not say that tite Mayor had not worked for the patriotic movement in his public capacity, and they all knew that the Mayoress had worked hard. (Applause). But, instead of coming into the limelight as he ought to have done, Ills Worship had chosen to take up the role of the boy who hid behind the back of the house, and who shouted out and made charges. Thfiy were out to do the best they could for the returned voldiers. They wanted all the assistance they could get, and anyone who held the office of Mayor should take a leading part in obtaining that assistance. They did not want any carping criticism. The Mayor, in reply, said that he had expected what had been happened as all the gentlemen around him belonged to the Citizens’ ticket. But he stood in the position that not a man of them had done more than Duncan McFarlane had done to help the patriotic funds. The Committee had started first with the Southland League, one meeting of which lie had attended. A paper at that meeting.was placed before him asking him to make a guarantee in order to advertise Southland. But what had they done? Nothing! , He had said that he would sign no bond, although he was prepared to give assistance afterwards if necessary. That was the reason why he took no further part in the League’s operations. Then the war started. The first relief fund was for the Belgians, and now it was tho War Association. No one knew where the funds were going. The secretary was given £8 per week and expenses, which was too much, and Mr Campbell had acknowledged that in his (tho Mayor’s) house. Mr Campbell rose and denied having done so.

The Mayor said that he held that paying the secretary £8 per week was too expensive. Had the guarantors paid anything. Mr Rodger. Yes, we have paid 20 per cent, of our guarantee, and all for the good of the patriotic fund. The Mayor, continuing, said that ho' had been congratulated over and over again by returned soldiers for the action he had taken. He asked how much the men had secured prior to his utterances at Corporal McLeay’s welcome home.

Air AlcDonald said that statements made that returned soldiers had npt been fairly treated he had found'had not been borne out by facts. The men had been treated with the utmost civility and promptitude. He mentioned a case where a man had received an appointment in the Tourist Department. Air Rodger referred to .the Mayor’s statements regarding the funds. On December 2, 1914, the first balance sheet was published. A complete statement up’to that date was provided then. On August 9, 1915, a second statement, which had been approved of, was issued, ordered to be printed, and distributed broadcast. A copy of the pamphlet containing that statement had been laid on the Town Council table on December 2, 1915, yet the Alayor expressed ignoivnee of how things were. That night he would have the pleasure of submitting a third statement, and, if approved of, it would afterwards appear in pamphlet form. Although the Queen Carnival Fund was not yet available, there was no necessity for any soldier to be if! need or to he suffering, as they had £I9OO still remaining from tho original fund, and that was sufficient to meet present requirements. The Mayor’s excuse for not having been active in connection with the work of the Patriotic Committee was not a valid one, and would not be accepted by the people of New Zealand. Tiie Alayor held the high office of principal citizen; lie was the chief magistrate, and his chief duty was to create a feeling of fellowship. His action in regard to his newspaper contributions had in effect caused him to descend from his high office. The Alayor: Thank you very much; but I’ve done more than you have ever done, for the patriotic fund. Air Rodger said that what lie had said was his opinion. His Worship, from its inception, had been a member of the Patriotic Committee. Ho had never intimated that lie would retire, and lie had made no enquiry as to the relief granted or suggestions regarding needy parties. He had never given any official advice as to the date or time returned soldiers wore arriving. In his letters ho had directed his attacks on the secretary, but Air Campbell was tho Committee’s accredited officer, and the Committee took full responsibility for what Air Campbell did.

in reply to Councillor Dunlop. Mr Rodger said that Air T, W. Walker, the Town Cleric, was treasurer to the fund, and he had carried out his duties faithfully and well. (Applause). Air Rodger concluded by expatiating on the good opportunity that awaited tiie War Funds Association if they all worked together.