WAR PRISONERS’ CONFERENCE

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27410, 24 July 1954, Page 9

WAR PRISONERS’ CONFERENCE

COMPENSATION GRANT CRITICISED In a remit passed unanimously by the annual conference yesterday, the New Zealand Ex-prisoners of War Association protested at the “very unsatisfactory decision of the Government regarding the grant to exprisoners of war formerly in Japanese hands.” The remit, referred to the conference by the central executive, and moved by the chairman of the executive (Mr S. Shaw), originally asked the conference to protest also at “the manner in which the decision without consultation with the association,” but that part of the remit was deleted.

Giving an outline of the problem, Mr J. Yule said that the money from which the contribution of £25 a head to all former prisoners of the Japanese was to be paid was not part of the reparations, but money which represented Japanese fixed assets seized by the New Zealand Government at the outbreak of the war with Japan. The money to which former prisoners were entitled, said Mr Yule, was part of the reparations from Japan, and to the best of his knowledge none of that money was in the Government’s hands. There had been much criticism of the Returned Services’ Association for going ahead in its recommendations to the Government without consulting the Ex-prisoners of War Association, but it was the stated national policy of the Returned Services’ Association that the Government be asked to pay to men who had been prisoners of war of the Japanese part of the reparations money. “When the reparations are paid to the Government, that is what we should go for,” said Mr Yule.. "We must be very careful of the manner in which we criticise the Government and the R.S.A. in this matter.” “The Government has clearly stated that legally there is no necessity to pay this money to anyone,” said Mr T.‘Plackett, supporting the remit, “but morally they have admitted the justification of our claims.” A remit, also from the central executive, that the association “protest very strongly to the Dominion council of the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association for the approach it made to the Government on the matter of the distribution of money being made available to ex-prisoners of war formerly in Japanese hands,” was rejected by the conference. Moved by the Auckland branch, a remit that “this conference place on record with the proper authorities that the Government be requested to consult fully with the association before any decision is reached regarding the distribution of any reparation money” was passed without discussion. Sustenance Allowance

A remit from the Napier branch was passed asking that an approach be made' to have the necessary legislation passed to ensure that a sustenance allowance would be paid to any future prisoners of war. “Even if our present efforts are lost we can at least do something for those who follow behind us,” said Mr D. Allen, in moving the remit. “I am firmly convinced that we have a moral and just claim for a sustenance allowance.”

A move by the Wanganui branch to obtain direct representation on the National Patriotic Fund Council , was supported unanimously by the conference.

The conference decided that the next annual conference would be held m Napier.

The election of officers resulted as follows: ’>

Patron, Sir William Jordan; president, Mr A. G. Horsley (Wanganui); vice-president, Mr H. Marx (Auckland); welfare officer, Mr C. E. James (Wellington); treasurer, Mr W. Dahl (Wellington): national executive, Messrs R. Anderson, J. Yule, J. Wallis, H. G. McMillan, and A. Harper; central executive, Mr S. Shaw (chairman), Messrs G. Jackson, E. V. Chambers, J. O’Callaghan. R. Johnston, and T. Plackett.