RETURNED SOLDIERS DEPUTATATION.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17078, 4 September 1917, Page 5

RETURNED SOLDIERS DEPUTATATION.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS

(Per Press.Association.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 3. A deputation from the New Zealand .Returned Soldiers' Association waited on tho Prime Minister, Sir Joseph \\ard, Ss r James Allen, and the Hon. Herdman to-day to place before them matters affecting the interests of men who have served at the front and returned to the Dominion. Th 9 deputation was introduced by Captain Pitt, who urged that the question ot settling returned soldiers on the land must bo taken in hand straight away, otherwise the position would'be serious. He emphasised the fact that the deputation represented the whole of the returned soldiers in New Zealand. Members of the deputation ndvoc ivM the appointment .of a Minister to deal only with the affairs of returned sellers; the establishment of a -eli.^e of repatriation, additional representation on the Pensions Board; sn increased grant for settling soldiers on tne land; the establishment of a eentrcl committee to administer patriotic funds; increased clothing allow.iaee; find the establishment in different centres of branches of the Discharged Soldiers Information Departments Complaint was made also that men who hadnot seen the. firing line were .pointed to positions in England 'nsteVi of men who had seen.active servi-je. Men who enlisted two-years after tho, war commenced were being promt.s.l over the heads of men who joined the*forces when the war commenced. The Prime Minister, replying, stated that the Government was anxious as far as possible, to redress the grievances of th e returned soldiers. Parliament and the people wanted to do everything they could to assist the Returned Soldiers' Association. As to the Department of Repatriation that had been mentioned, the Department of whien the Hon. Mr. Herdman was m- charge had been particularly successful m finding employment for returned soldiers, and if it were necessary to extend the Department's functions he thought the Government would be prepared to meet th e proposal. The fact that four Ministers of the Crown were there to meet the deputation showed that the Government was anxious to do what it could for the returned soldiers. As to soldiers and.settlement on the land, an Act to provide financial assistance was to be brought down this session, but the Government could not promise that the £750 grant would apply to every case. Mr Massey suggested that the Government should be able^o place-returned soldiers in homes on tne same terms as were now in operation in connection with workers' homes. Blocks of land could be purchased and, he believed, could be made a success.

Sir Joseph Ward said that he, along with the other members of the Government, was anxious to do all possible for the returned soldiers.

Sir James Allen, speaking on the subject of repatriation, said jae' believedthe problem changed from day to day, and he thought ifc would be wise for the executive to have a private discussion with Ministers. A great deal of educative work was being done in England in regard to returned soldiers, and it was quite possible that many, of our men would come back with, very valuable experience. How that experience had yet to be developed remained to be considered. He would be glad, if-possible, to have a medical man on the Pensions Board, who woald 'represent the returned soldiers. As to the supply of mufti for returned -soldiers, he pointed out that the Government returned a soldiers' mufti to his home on going into camp, and clothed him while in camp and on service, and then gave him 30s. for a mufti suit on his discharge, besides leaving him a very considerable part: of his equipment. Men on furlough would, generally speaking, retain their seniority. In. regard to promotions, Sir James Allen said the proportion of commissions to men who returned had been considerably increased. Territorial officers had been warned that they must go through a course of training, a-nd some of them might have to go to the ranks. There were a large number of men in the officers' training camp in England, bub he did not think it would be a good thing for the New ZeaJan^ non-commissioned officers to be shut out of the possibilities of a commission. It was not quite right to shut the door on the man who had been to the front. ' ■

The Hon. Herdman said the Discharged Soldiers' Department was fairly complete throughout New Zealand. The work done was remarkable, hut he suggested that branches might .-work in with the Discharged Soldiers' Association in regard to repatriation.- He said the Discharged Soldiers' Information Department had been fairly successful in getting employment for men, and only about 160 were now seeking work. Much of the work, however,, was of a temporary character, and he urged that discharged soldiers should'seek to learn a trade which would make them practically independent. Facilities to that end were provided at the Technical Colleges, and some fifty or sixty men were now engnged-jn that, way, and were being paid £1 a week while undergoing training. He was in favour of mak-ing use of existing institutions rather than spending a big sum of money on establishing huge technical institutions at a central point.