THE WOUNDED SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2508, 8 July 1915, Page 6

THE WOUNDED SOLDIERS

A PUBLIC RECEPTION. A proposal ,that a public' welcome should be extended to wounded soldiors shortly returning to New Zealand was made in the House yesterday afternoon. Mr. T. M. Wilford asked the Minister of Defence whether any arrangements had been made for giving a publio welcome to the returned soldiers who were coming back, to this country in the course, of a few days..' He hoped tho Government had not lost sight of this, and tliat the welcome would be a generous one, and that the day- would be observed as a. public holiday, in order that -residents might be able to show their appreciation of what, the wounded soldiers had done. Nothing that the people could do would ;be too' much. The Hon. J. Allen said lie thought every arrangement-had been made to give the men a fit and proper welcome, but' there was the question of . what was a fit and proper welcome to men, some of. whom would have to go iuto hospital. --! -, ' Mr. Wilford: Of course, I don't know w!hat the condition of the men is.

Mr.,Allen: "It has all been published ill the papers." He said that a certain number of the men, 80 in all, would be sent to 'hospitals • in Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston, Wellington, Christ,church, and Dunedin. Others would go to-their own 'homes, and some to convalescent, homes. Ho could not- sa-yi exactly'how many would go to convalescent homes until another telegram was received from the ship. He would bo very glad to arrange,for a public re-, ception to these men, but a reception for sick men was rather a difficult matter. ...