WAR MATTERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12066, 23 July 1917, Page 5

WAR MATTERS.

POLICY OF GOVERNMENT CRITICISED. INCREASED PENSIONS URGED. Mr J. M'Combs, M.l\, in his address at the Kind's Theatre last night, devoted himself mainly to a denunciation of llio policy of the New Zealand Governmnit in connection with war mattors, and expressed the opinion that at, last tliauthorities were beginning to be impressed by public opinion. Me was optimistic enough to believe that something might yet bo done, but that (■(Mid 011 iy result from the sweeping oi the present Government, out of ojliec and Uie rot hit. of a Parliament whoso members would be in touch with the people and abir to deal sympathetically with the problems affecting and pressing .<0 hardly upon the masses to-day. As showing the trend of opinion in Parbane'ur it Mi- 'Combs said that whereas members and 1 lie Press howled down as "mercenaries" the men who two yen it. ago put up a vigorous fight/ for bet fee conditions of pay and pensions for New Zealand soldiers, in the ;ir : .t few lioui.s of th» pre>s n nt session nioinb'-rs tumbled over one. another with r|i]e;;ti o us to the Government all indicating desire for increased pensions to soldiers, inn'easer] pensions for the olr! people, mul hotter treatment of t lie dependents of soldiers who had fallen in their tight for the Empire. The member who most persistently an increase in 1 lie old age pensions war. the, member for Grey, Mr P, Webb. (Apphfiiso.) His voice was not heard thi.> session, but now those men who had ,ieci:sed him of unpatriotic sent imei'.ts were taking up the cry. And if there had been justification for raising the old age pensions from CIS to £"2P> a. year in normal limes, surely .-in increase could not. n n w bo refused when it was known that, tho cost of living - had increased by seven or eight shillings in the pound.

A small section of members of Parliament had, two yonrs ago, endeavoured to obtain a more 1 iboral scale of soldiers' pension-, and had been told that tlic various patriotic organisations would deal with any cases of hardship. He and It is colleagues had declared their objection to a policy which practically threw the returned soldier or his dependents upon the charity of these associations. They had heen reminded that their soldiers were not mercenaries. They were iold that they wore, throwing- grit in the wheels of tlio machine instead of helping the fJovcniment. In ilie nieaniime the rails upon the patriotic as.->ocj :1 t inns bad hanx large and in direct ratio to the failure of I ho (Government to make proper provision for the men who went out. to light our battles for us. Xow the Second Division was within measurable distance of being en Hod up. m'hl its members declared <(uito openly tii.it they object''-d to their wives and families being dependent at all upon this lorm of charity, holding it to bo the duty of the (Government to take care, of them whilst the husband and father were on active service. No longer did tliev hear the cry of " mercenary." The sentiment was applauded now.

During the opening hours of Parliament there was a. disposition on the part of many members to declare, that New Zealand had done her share. They were perfectly frank about it in the lobbies. Rut after Mr M.assey relinked them they ceased to air these views in the House, although they freely expressed their opinions still in the lobbies. After speaking at some length on the raising oi reinforcements and the constitution of New Zealand brigades, he instanced Canada, which, even with conscription, had placed a limit on the number of men to be sent. That limit would be less than the 000.000 originally promised. Based on the 75,000 New Zealand volunteers, Canada should send no fewer that 000,(100 volunteers out of her population of eight millions; while, in comparison with the W,oof) men sent from .New Zealand under the volunteer and the compulsory systems, Canada should contribute (jSS'.OOO. On the same basis the I'nited States could be called upon for live and three-quarter millions of men. This Dominion deserved to have had it writ large on the scroll of fame that if lmd done its share, and more than its share,, on the voluntary system. (Applause). }|r M'Combs attacked tlm Cloverninent for the use which he declared it had made of the National Register, and be criticised at length the system of assisting soldiers with property obligations, on the ground that so few men could take, advantage of it. He had prophesied at the outset, that onlv about 1 per cent would be benefited. and liis estimate had been proved correct.