POLITICS AND DEFENCE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2452, 4 May 1915, Page 6

POLITICS AND DEFENCE

MR. ALLEN INTERVIEWED | '■ * . RECRUITING COMMIHEES COMMENDED (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Chrlstchurch, May 3. The Hon. J. Allon, Minister of Defence, passed through Christchurch this evening on his way from Dunedin to Wellington, where he will resume liis Departmental duties. On being interviewed, Mr. Allen said that lie did not think the coming session of Parliament would be, a very long one. In the summer months in Europe the war would be waged furiously, and with casualty . lists or the New Zealand forces pos- ' sibly coming in regularly there would, : he thought, be very little heart in the country foV'.tho discussion of local politics on familiar lines. There were cer- ! tain things that Parliament must do, : but beyond these ho did not know that anything much would be attempted. The main things he had in mind were the war loan J a war tax, o revision of pensions, and the regular finanoial measures. Soldiers' Pensions. Questioned _ about the pensions scheme for widows, and dependents of soldiers, Mr. Allen _ said that he had all along' thought it was not good enough, and he personally thought it should be liberalised.' In every spare moment he had been working upon it to that end, and he would have an amending measure to submit to the House. Asked if the allowance which a soldier had left'-to his wife or nearest dependent ceased immediately upon the soldier's death. The Minister replied that of course a man's pay ceased automatically, an'd the allowance should cease also. The practice, howover, had not been formalised as yet beoauso the scheme could not immediately be put in perfect order. In one or two cases the Department had continued the allowance made to dependents, and was prepared to_ continue it up to twentysix weeks in order to allow the soldier's pension to bo drawn upou. This pension was provided for in tne Defence Act of 1909.- On its being pointed out that this provided a pension of £30, and that the Windows' Pensions Act provided a ; pension of £36, the Minister said ho did not think one person would be allowed to draw two pensions. Parliament in its' coming session would, however, go fully into the whole matter and put the pensions scheme upon a basis in conformity with the experience of the Old Land, Medical Examinations. On the question of facilitating the medical examination of recruits by allowing ordinary doctorb to pass men at ■other than the regular weekly examination, the Minister baid that there was no ■ necessity for this. There was iio reason, if recruits would only obey instructions, why any delay or loss of work should be occasioned. On a man's registering himself he had nothing more to do till the Department advised him of the day for examination by the doctor\ No recruit-should leave work when he had merely registered his name. Onco he had registered and the. Department had his : name, his case was in their hands, and all the recruit had to do was to obey instructions. For this reason; therefore,- there was no occasion for the services of general practitioners to be utilised. The Minister said he was glad to hear of assistance being rendered to recruiting by the Citizens' 1 Defence Corps of Christchurch. The Department was grateful for all such assistance, and would help as far as it could. There was ho reason why all the big centres should not follow out this course. National Reserve Volunteers. Colonel Porter had suggested _ that the National Reserve or the Citizens' Defence Corps in each of the big centres should be asked to supply 500 men from ; their own ranks. "I don't say this can he done," said Mr. Allen, "but of course if it could, we would be glad to have them." . . , Will you extend'the age-limit to allow that?—"No, not at present," Mt. 'Allen said! Aslced whether it would be possible to give volunteers who are rejected as medically unfit a badge or certificate ! a3 some guarantee of .their willingness to go, the' Minister replied that he had made that suggestion himself some ' time ago, but there were many difficulties in the wa.y of the successful application of the idea. ■ If a 'man wore ! a badge he was proclaiming himself medically unfit/ and very few men < would really like to bear that badge: Then, putting that aside, trafficking in badges would be sure to arise and this . would lead to the system being abusted. A's to a certificate which oould be pro- . duced being given he thought that ' would be of very little use. The ' sounded very well at first but when one looked into it a lot or difficulties presented themselves. . -