RETURNED M£NS' DEPUTATION

Thames Star, Volume LIII, Issue 14023, 23 October 1919, Page 1

RETURNED M£NS' DEPUTATION

(Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, Wednesday.

A deputation fjxjin the New Zeu. iimid Retrained Soldiers' Gouitfemicia waited on tlie memibeis of Parliu- I Dicct this, morning. The. Hon. Sir F. V» r. Laiag, in the temporary absemoe ■of Mi' Massey, toot the chair. 'The deputation presented the demands arrived at .the oonfereincie regiardLng; land repatriation and (allowances. ' . The speaker's 'were tihe President, Mr Buxei', Messrs Long', Mitchell, Colqiihouuii, and Leadley. The Hoi*. D l. H. Guthrie, replying., saiid tihat the quea-tioo of. quielsea* adniiu'isti'atioiix of the policy of seit.tlemeiiit had tuoit beeai negiecited. A -sol-. diea 1 who wished to iiiisipeot a saatiioM, need be uiiidei' no • eatpense, because his 'expenises would be ipadd. The oouintry must ta.k© a. risk a>t seitfcliiig a woldiei' on the kind, but it was n daujgei'oius doctrine to pioadh, ihat, the poldietf, no imtfber what happened, must be supported by the Governii)<ein<fc. All available kind would b-" offered the soldiers firet. Foa* years the Goverament had eJtdeafvOTrted to honestiy stoip aggregation^ but time 1 after time the provisioaug mad© had proved useless. A new clause had now been oomiplejted which he hoped would be effective. It Was now pa'oipoeed to take the laavl from tihe aggrega-tar' at the Goiv©rnDiieixt vaiuiaftioim, plus 10' l'er ©emt. He denied that fit man wene oompelled to rotfUitix to their p're'waa* occiupa,tions and agreed that it was-reasoinr a.b]e to ask tliat thei allowance of £50 far equippinig! the home should bo increased to £75, but he oomisidered that to press for am increase of loans for businasa frami £300' to £suo would Lrevolve the risk of the system' breaking down' under its own weiigiht. Hie Hon.. J. G." Coanes sa,id in reference to the piropoeal to'make the incrteaise in officers' pa.y retrospective the miaitter had. beem considered and it was dt-cided that the matter shoaild etamid. Mr Moesey said tha,ti the disoussdon v.'ae useful amd cleared up many misappreb«isioms. The Government had i never hesitated to do 'all possible I for the returned soldier© amd would continue to do so.