THE ANZAC RETURNED SOLDIERS ASSOCIATION RECORDER

Observer, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5, 6 October 1917, Page 15

THE ANZAC RETURNED SOLDIERS ASSOCIATION RECORDER

ANOTHER boat load of sick and wounded men arrived in Auckland during the week. They have come,to us with the sad ravages of war upon them bearing in their poor 'wasted bodies and crippled limbs evidence of the bitter struggle for supremacy still being waged in Flanders. We have talked with many of them and have heard some soul thrilling tales and stories of heroism and self sacrifice of the noblest kind. One. wonders, after being through all this,' this splendid brotherhood of camp and trench, where the only thing that counts is the man himself, what these young fellows must think at the back of their brains about our little personal bickerings and our miserable little conventional distinctions. We trust these men will bring the leaven of a fuller and bigger life, of a wide and widening vision. We need: it badly. There are big things ahead of us yet to be done and which only cani be done by men with big hearts, and disinterested souls and wide outlook. Boys, we welcome you back. Let us have yonir help, the advantage of your experience, and, above all, the softening and strengthening influence of your larger and fuller and more brotherly manhood. Some of you may like to write some of your experiences, or tell us tales of daring you have witnessed, or describe some of the scenes through which you have passed. We will be glad to receive them and take a delight in finding for them a place in our "Anzac Recorder."

The agitation that has swept from the North Cape to the Bluff, and from seaboard to seaboard, for better conditions, financially and otherwise, for the soldiers and their dependants of the second division, reached its climax when the Minister for Defence introduced into the House of Representatives, on September 26, his new proposals for pensions and allowances. What will be the final condition of these proposals when they have passed the crucible of committee one cannot say. We express that hope that before they finally receive the sanction of Parliament that many changes will have taken place and many matters omitted now will then be incorporated as part of the measure. It is impossible at this early stage to offer any solid criticism on what is proposed. Our object is mainly to point out its one fatal defect. As usual it was introduced by the Minister of Defence as the finest, most liberal and most advanced legislation in the whole world. Standing proudly in the limelight, with chest expanding with pride, and voice vibrant with exipnltation, Sir James declared' that our legislation at present is more liberal than legislation anywhere else in the world in respect to soldiers and their dependants. May we remind Sir James that liberal legislation for soldiers is a nice thing, but it is only one side of the game. Liberal administration'-.of liberal legislation is a nicer thing and is the other side of the game. A good law can be worse than a> bad law if badly and wrongly administered. It all- depends upon who has the handling of , this beautiful liberal legislation ars to whether soldiers and their dependants will reap' the real benefits it claims to give. RS.A. officials know something about the Oliver Twists who line the road along which the> liberal legislation must pass to reach the soldiers and-their

dependants. We are struck with the absence from the measure and from the Minister's second reading speech of any reference to the retrospective operation of these new proposals. The N.Z.R.S'.A. representing close on 10,000 men have asked through their executive that these proposals be made retrospective But from the reports to hand their request has been met by studied and insulting silence. Not by one single word-did the Minister seem to justfy the non-inclusion of such a retrospective proposals. The Second Division League, by vigorous organisation have forced the Government to make these better provisions. The R.S.A. is fully convinced of the justice of the retrospective claim and must to obtain what it deems just and fair adopt the same agitating measuers. It must organise a big crusade and by vigorous action drive its claim home if hot into the hearts, at least into the heads of our 'politicians. There is no self interest in this call to iaction. We do not grudge the. better provisions being made for the men of the second division. Had we the power we would make them better still. But we claim and justly claim that unless provisions are applied to at least a big percentage of the first division, then a wrong, a grave injustice will be done to a large number of our alter the fact thetaoi thme ctme h citizen soldiery.

Mr Massey, Sir James Allen and others sit silent in the House and allow the second reading of a measure so important as this to pass without a word and then protest and get excited because they were not alloewd to talk. We can assure these gentlenin that thousands of returned soldiers, on election day, will reme.mber how they betrayed their trust over this measure' and' will make election day .a judgment day for a number of them. It is well, we say for these Ministers and members to remember that at least 8000 men volunteered in the first division who actually and in fact belong to the second division. Men who made big sacrifices and made them freely. Men with wives and children and left them willingly. Men Avith business and prospects and yet voluntarily faced financial • ruin. They did it, it is true, knowing well what they were to receive, but that paltry statement does not alter the fact that they did it, rather it only goes to prove that their loyalty and patriotism were bigger things, grander things than self interest or personal advantage. Some few weeks ago the Minister for Defence gave certain figures to the House classifying certain men in the first division. These men represented fathers of families ranging from one up to five and six children. Men who made every possible sacrifice beyond which no second division man can go. Some of them have come back crippled for life and many of them will never return. Their dependants, fatherless children, husbandless wives are in our midst. Will any Government dare to deny these men, these dependants the advantages it now proposes to give to others ? Tf there is any honour in the nation,, if there is any justice in the land, if the ministry' and M.P's. be not formed only of time servers and place hunters, if there is'any sense of right and fairness in, the people, then this national scandal can not be perpetuated. We have supported conscription with both hands, wholeheartedly, and with voice and pen, but if this measure is not made retrospective one must conclude that some sinister power is behind the throne, one must decide what the Defence Minister meant when in introducing this measure he used these words: "These increases would place N.Z. considerably ahead of any other country. I make no boast. We ought to do so. As we have adopted in N.Z. a Military Service Act, compelling our men to go, we should do the best we can for them." Is the old axiom that one volunteer is worth twenty pressed men. no longer true? Do we now contend that pressed nien are , the most valuable and deserve, better care and , the higher reward?

We have before us the 2nd Annual Report iand Balance Sheet of the Wellington-• R.S. Club. Progress has been made during, the year. The club has been, freely used by -returned soldiers and it is evident that the club has fully justified its existence and served a. public and useful-pur-pose in encouraging returned soldiers back to civil occupations. The Balance Sheet e:b">Ty<s that the financial position of the club is sound. Total receipts from all sources during the year amounts to £4925 7s. 10d. The expenditure on working accounts has been £2475 18s. 4d., but of the balance remaining the committee has placed £1800 on fixed deposit and expended £497 2s. 10d. on furniture. Several matters in the report are of great interest, especially to members of the AiR.S.A., inasmuch as they show the more sympathetic attidude of the Wellington public to soldiers' needs. On the incorporation of the Society there was a liability of £528 3s. od. To meet this cost caused the committee considerable concern, but at a ci-itical stage of the Club's history someone anonymously donated £415 15s. od., and lifted the committee out of the troubled stream. The premises in which the club is situated is leased for three years, and half of, the rental is returned by one of the two. owners of the property. The amount returned as a gift amounts to more than £400. A combined committee of civilians and returned soldiers of equal numbers form the executive, while all the officials on the staff are returned men. As a whole the Report is full of cheer and' progress and goes to show that the-W.R.S. Club liberally supported by the Wellington public is a true live Society and a centre for good.

Some of our Politicians are alivo to the interests of returned men and the dependants of those battling for us at the front. Mr H Poland, M.P. for Ohinimuri, brought before the House the. question of extortionate usury to which we referred' in our last issue. He asked if the Government would introduce legislation to check extortionate methods practised by certain moneylenders who are at present fattening on the misfortunes of the poor. , ' He referred to the case quoted by Mr Lamer and published in our Anzac Page. In reply the Minister for Defence was just as clear and' just as sympathetic as he always is. His statement is just as definite as those he generally makes. He answered "that the matter is a difficult one, but everything that is possible Avill be done to stop such practices and that the matter is being referred to the Attorney General" and there, as far as the National Government is concerned, the mat-; ter will end. The history of our present Governmenrt is a persistent effort to avoid religiously everything that is either difficult or nasty or unpopular. Unless some strong force is brought to bear upon the powers that 'be, it is certain that the exploiter will continue to play merrily and unchecked his vile infamous Same and the poor, despoiler will bend under his heaped up load. What can be done to stop this vampire trade ? Can Acts of Parliament end it? True they may mitigate but that they cannot and do not stop it is within the knowledge of very many fleeced victims in Auckland to-day. With many of the suggestions made by Mr Lamer we are in perfect accord. With others we utterly disagree. It is a wise move to make it illegal to lend money on; household furniture without the dual consent of husband and' wife. There is, however, neither wisdom nor justice -in legislating against the borrowing of small amounts under £20. Such a move as that would be a direct infraction of the rights of the individual and a great wrong against the needy harrassed poor. It is not good policy to inflict a grievous injustice and cruel restriction upon one class of the community in order to prevent bowelless men practising a blood-sucking trade. If an absent soldier's wife, pressed by sickness or- misfortune, needed the loan of a few pounds would it be common justice to pre-:

vent lier, by law, seeking the aid she needs, or, by Law, compelling her bo borrow more than she requires, and that, because there are men in our midst so utterly deficient in principle and sense of right, as to make profit out of her need and extort big gains out of her pitiable necessity. No; there is. only one way to deal with these human vampires, only one. way to rid the deserving poor of these parasites and ghouls, and that is by placing them in the pillory of publicity. None dreads the police lantern the thief. Nothing fears the light but that which is unclean and corrupt. Placard the names of these men who do these dastardly deeds on the walls of public thought and l you lay the d'oath hand upon their debasing traffic.