MILITARY DELAY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12289, 11 April 1918, Page 8

MILITARY DELAY.

CASE OF RETURNED MEN,

A Resolution of Protest,

A letter was received by the Automobile Association last night from Captain Robertson, assistant-adjutant-geu-eral at Christchurch headquarters, stating that the matter of notifying the association of the departure of troopships from Wellington and arrival in Lyttelton had been made a responsibility of his office, and ho would be glad if any failing would be' reported immediately to the office. A further letter was received from the Minister of Defence, regretting the delay in replying to the association’s letter on the subject, aud stating that adequate steps were being taken to provide the association with, the information desired. Mr A. S. Clarkson moved—“ That this association expresses its surprise aud regret that the assurance given to it by the Minister of Defence that he would instruct the Defence Department in Wellington to immediately communicate to this association the approximate time of the arrival of returned soldiers, so ns to facilitate tho association’s transport arrangements, has not been canned out by his officials, as instanced by the case of about twenty men who returned on March 26, no notice having been received of their arrival, and in consequence they were not met, as is the usual custom of the association.” Mr Clarksou said that he moved because he felt that after the war the Automobile Association should ho able to say that it had met every draft of returning men. These twenty men were mostly Main Body men, some of whom had served nearly four years in Samoa and Palestine. 'At Wellington they were merely granted pratique and turned out without any reception. They were then given a steerage passage to Lyttelton, and arrived in Christchurch, to wander about aimlessly, some of them having to go on to Dunediu. These men had no one to meet them and were walking around Christchurch unknown to anyone. The association had to fight tho Defence authorities in Wellington. They know a good bit about the military red tape of'the Old Country, but it was more or Jess elastic, but. in Wellington it was concrete. He spoke aiot only for the association but for Bed Cross and other workers who would have welcomed tho soldiers, These men had suffered for the rottenness of the methods of the military authorities in Wellington, for the'local office knew nothing of the men. The motion was seconded by Mr C. G. M’Kellar and carried unanimously, on the understanding that a. copy would bo forwarded to the Minister'of Defence.