RETURNED SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2840, 3 August 1916, Page 6

RETURNED SOLDIERS

■ ■■■, + .•■; . DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS REQUEST FOR CONCESSIONS SYMPATHETIC REPLIES . 'A. deputation from the Returned Sol- , fliers' Association waited upon the ,-'"'■ Prime Minister, the Minister of Defence, and the Minister of Railways yesterday for the purpose of placing before, them several representations that arose out of last week's conference. The deputation consisted of Captain Pitt (president), Messrs. H. N. Haycock, J. D. Harper, '■■-■■■ T.-King, and C. W. Batten (secretary). It was explained by members of the ' deputation that the association did not require financial assistance, but desired certain concessions. One request was for free' railway passes for delegates to coun- '-.■•' cil meetings, for the executive meetings, and for the general secretary and or- :.-'"' ganiser. Further, it was urged that returned soldiers 6nould be given preference for-positions in the Public Service, ' nnd that small poultry and fruit farms, and homes in the vicinity of the cities ■'!'.'•; and villages should be provided for them. : , : -A-strong protest 1 against trafficking in ;!•'.., 'Crown..lands, set apart for the settle- : inent of returned soldiers, was also made. Attention was also drawn to the unsat- ■'.' isfaotory state of affairs regarding re- .' turned soldiers' badges. ' • ,: ; ..*-:=_ The Primo Minister's Reply. ■■'. The Prime Minister, in replying, congratulated the deputation on the formation of the Returned Soldiers' Associa- ' tion, and Captain Pitt on being elected '..the.'first.' president. The Government ..-would do all it'could to assist the association. With regard to free railway passes, he would consult with his.col- !,; leagues the Ministers of Defence and Railways, and see what could bo done in this direction, and he had no doubt that ,•'", a satisfactory arrangement could be -..-. come to. The Government' was acting on i ';.' : the principle of giving returned soldiers ;. preference as far us Government eui- '; ployment was concerned. As to badges, , ■he believed that something should bo .. done. The only official badge was' that ~issued by the Government, and anyone ~-;-. wearing any other badge was liable to a ■■-.■.'■■■.' fine. The 'difficulty was ,with regard to :.'■- the imitation badges, but ho thought, the Government had authority to make regu- ■■-'■■ lations dealing with the matter. Dealing with land for returned sol- "/.. idiers, Mr.- Massoy- stated : that the Do- !. '*'■ parttucnt had been working enthusiasv-:" tically, and' ho thought up to the present with a fair-amount of success, to ■■; put the soldiers on the land. . Tho Gov- ,■■; • ornmont, after-it had placed returned 1 the land, "built them a cheap dwelling, and provided th'e'm with fencing material and stock. As far as push- ' ... ing tenants for-rentals was concerned, he would see that this would not be the case. (Hear, hear.) As soon, as the -■'tenants .began to get their milk away ,-,.-. to the factories, then the Government would be able to collect its.dues, but in the meantime he, as head of the Lands Department, would see that no hard- ', ship was inflicted. ' Fruit and Poultry Farming. i"• .The question of supplying small sec- . tions m the neighbourhood of the towns '. jor fruit and poultry farming was one -..■ that.was already being, dealt with, and ,-.' a number of these sections had been'sccured,tn_the vicinity of Wellington and .Auckland, and negotiations ,wore pro- : . ceeding with a view to securing a suit- .; , able area; just outside, of Christchurch. J.ho Government intended to plant or- ' .ohards with the best varieties of apple trees. He was quite certain that apple ~,- growuig was going to be a very big industry in the years to come. The Gov- ;./ eminent; had secured some land suitable \\. -tor fruit growing at Swanson, some fifteen miles out of Auckland, and had called for tenders for ploughing 500 acres of", with a view to planting the area ; with fruit trees.- The Government had set ':"■■ csida 400,000 acres of Crown lands in Now ■Zealand (some of it still unsurveved, 'how. . : ever) for returned soldiery and 160 sol- ;, diers had taken up over 100,000 acres, '- wiuch showed that many of them were : .prepared to get away into the',country. :■,.. J.ho Government had been doing a good j:;,.deal with regard to rural workers' ,A homes and he, thought if-they adopted ;; ; theso _Imes in regard to returned 501,.-.-, ~-.-, diers- it would, meet the point raised with ~ regard to dwelling-places in the neujh- ..... bourhood of. th cities. ■.- • "No -Trafficking"in■' Crown Lands>' "- : ;. T^'-PrimflM ihister further' stated that the Government did not intend to allow "■ any 'trafficking" 'in Clown lands set ..apart for returned soldiers. As to Takapau, he believed that every man there , could'sell' out and get a good price for : the goodwdl, but the Government,did not ■..•intend to .'allow any "trafficking" in these ;,/sections, which were intended to be used •'■'■ Iff,,"" 16 P ur POses of returned. soldiers. ■ When soldiers went to look at sections .'they would be provided with free rail- ','■ ':■ . Ui ;y passes. . (Applause.) ' , ,f, Statements' by • Other Ministers. ;,7 .; The Hon. James Allen said that the :.;'■' question of free railway passes would be discussed between tho Department and tho Minister of Railways,' but as far as . free passes for the annual council lnet.irigs of the association, were concerned "'.lie, would'.undertako to say that they would be supplied.Yin regard to prefer- . enca for returned soldiers as to employment in military departments, this policy ..■ was followed as far as was possible. If ' they were disappointed because there were not.more returned soldiers in the Base . .Records Office, he would point out that ■ "-.•' this work was carried out with great dilii- ■ culty, and somo knowledge of clerical •'. work was required. With reference to badges, the association's badge would bo -; made the official badge. (Hear, hear.) ; > : Dealing with the use of the word '■ "Anzac" (which tho deputation urged ■ should be used only for military and V memorial purposes) the Minister said that '•■ bo one would have the right to uso the ', word, and'after tlireo months those who <•'■■•', wore at present using tho word would r : have to give it up.. With reference to " fruit farms for returned men, he had ' pointed out to the Government what a ■"■ splendid thing it would be if a number .'.of farms,in full fruit-could be secured. '';. He was greatly impressed with £T;e farms \, in the' Motueka - district, and he was •quite satisfied that tho owners of some ..of these would be prepared to sell. .'.,, .The Prime Minister: Tho land Purchase Board has the matter in hand now. v , Tho Hon. W. H. Herrics said he would ';.','. confer with his colleagues regarding free '.railway passes, and no doubt a satisfactory arrangement would be wade.