The Dominion. MONDAY, MAT 15, 1916. WHOLESOME ADVICE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2771, 15 May 1916, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, MAT 15, 1916. WHOLESOME ADVICE

In his speech on the Address-in-Reply on Friday night, Captain J. B. Hine, member for Stratford, gave some sound advice to politicians and others regarding tho too prevalent tendency to believe and to repeat rumours about the management of tho camps and the treatment of the soldiers. It would be a good thing if members of Parliament would adopt a more critical attitude in reference to these stories. They should make a point of testing every rumour before giving it wider publicity. A public man cannot divesihimself of responsibility for spreading a false and mischievous report by stating that he is merely repeating what somebody else has told him, or giving more or less definite expression to vague allegations which aro in the air, but can.be traced to nowhere- iri particular. Nor is a politician justified in drawing the attention of Parliament to every story ho hears just in order to give "Ministers an opportunity of denying it. Members of Parliament are, of course, bound fr> do their utmost to right wrongs and redress grievances. They would fail in their duty, if they ignored definite complaints made to them by reputable persons. But they ought to submit such complaints to the test of reason and common sense, and satisfy themselves that there is some real foundation for them bofore making them public; A few inquiries and a little quiet investigation, combined with an average capacity for estimating possibilities and probabilities, would generally show whether thero was enough truth 111.an allegation to warrant a public statement on tho subject. It should, for instance, be regarded as a very serious thing for a moraber of Parliament to publicly challenge the loyalty or capacity of any officer of the New Zealand Forces. Such a course may in certain circumstances bo necessary and justifiable in the public interest; but it should not be taken unless it is made imperative by weighty reasons. If members would visit tho camps, and see for themselves how the welfare of the men is studied, they- would not be so easily misled by the wild rumours which gci. abroad. Captain Hine assured the House that if members would visit the camps they would find that the men are well treated, and that, every consideration is shown to them by the Defence Department

t Thero was an unmistakably genuine ring about Captain Hike's speech. It. was the speech of an earnest man speaking l with first-hand knowledge. The member for Stratford has taken a keen interest in soldiering for many years, and when the urgency for fighting men became evident, he felt it - his duty to offer his services. He knows camp life from the inside. He knows soldiers and their ways. Ho also knows politicians and their ways. Speaking as a soldier and a politician, ha says, in effect, to his fellow-mem-bers: "Don't be too credulous in regard to camp rumours; take them with a grain of salt; think before you speak; inquire before you act." Tho continual discussion in Parliament and on the platform of grossly exaggerated or entirely imaginary troubles associated with tho troops, and the repetition of idle rumours by people in responsible . positions aro not favourable to the maintenance of order and discipline. It is satisfactory to have the assurance of Captain Hike that, speaking generally, the reports of undesirable happenings that get abroad, and mysterious hints that things aro not as they should be, have little or no foundation in fact. While we can appreciate Captain Hike's interest in and concern for our returned soldiers, ho seemed to be relying too much upon hearsay in his references to their treatment. His remarks might convey tho impression that the Government was doing practically nothing for the benefit of these men. Much of what he says ought to be done is actually being done, and it is rather surprising that, when he spoke on Friday night, he did not know more about the work which is being done by the Discharged Soldiers' Information Department. No doubt his military duties have prevented him from watching the activities of tho various State Departments with his usual keenness. Quite recently tho Hon. A. L. Herdman made a valuable statement showing what is being done to help the men who havo ■ ccmo back from tho war to got back into civilian life. The facts, disclosed make it evident that this very important taskis being performer! in a well-planned and systematic manner. The Discharged Soldiers' Information Department is well aware that it is not possible to place every returned soldier on tho land. Endeavours are being made to find suitable employment for returned men and to assist them in various other ways. A total of 2083 cases had been disposed of when Mb. Herdman made his statement, and 1265 cases were under action. The Dooartment appears to be

fully alivo to tho urgency of fcho problem it has to solve. Its record of things actually dono is quite impressive. "Wc do not wait," said Mr. Herdman, "for tho soldier to come to us. We get into touch with him as soon as he sets foot in New Zealand." Tho Department is being assisted by public-spirted volunteers, and seems to bo doing its utmost to keep well abreast of its work. But it has a great and growing task before it. ' Every effort must be made to give the men who have fought for us, and who are now fighting, the best possible chance, of settling clown again under tho most favourable conditions attainable. It is essential that this shall be done both in the interests of tho men themselves and of tho community as a whole. Anyone who has a proper appreciation of the magnitude of the work involved will readily agree with Mn. Herdjian's prediction that the timo is not far distant, when, in centres like Auckland, Dunedin, and Christchurch, it will bo necessary for the Department to have its own officers to do the duties now performed by volunteers. Tho Department must be given all the facilities for ensuring that its work is done promptly, thoroughly, and sympathetically.