NEW ZEALANDERS WHO ENLIST ABROAD.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2760, 2 May 1916, Page 6

NEW ZEALANDERS WHO ENLIST ABROAD.

Sir,—With your permission, I should like to draw the attention of the Minister of Defence to what I call an omission . towards some of our young New Z calenders. You must know that when war broke out that a number of can men were in the Old Country, and not having the ways and moans at their dia> posal for joining a colonial contingent, say Australian, Canadian, or New Zealand, but they being men of the right stamp, and willing to play up to 'tha reputation, of this little country under the Southern Cross, offered their services to the Homo authorities. Now, I have seen in various papers photos of manly young fellows who are now serving in some regiment in the Home army, mine-sweepers, etc., who 1 have no doubt had they been in New Zealand would have gone forth with our contingents, and the thought has been brought home to me, are we giving them a fair deal in so far that are wo making up their pay equal to the colonial; Now, sir, I think that every Kan who is New Zealand bora and brought up, and who has enlisted and lighting our battles should at the ter. mination of the war receive justice and have the deficiency made up to colonial pay. They are New Zealanders, aud 1 maintain that they should' be treated as such. I am not referring to tlioso who have joined, say, the various colonial regiments, but to those who are perhaps receiving, say, 12s. or los. under the Home army. • These young men will he returning to New Zealand after tlie war, and I think that it would be rather hard on them to find that they have been not thought of; Trusts ing some mightier pen than mine will take the matter up, and that they may have their just award as New Zealand era,—l am, eto., ■ , :■ » FAIR PLAY.