RETURNED SOLDIER PROBLEMS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2882, 21 September 1916, Page 7

RETURNED SOLDIER PROBLEMS

DON'T LOCK UP THE FUNDS

CAPTAIN SIMSON'S farewell

Captain Donald Simson, who has acted the part of the champion of the. roturned soldiers, leaves for England, via Sydney, to-day, to rejoin his regiment, tho King Edward VII Horse. En route he will pay a visit to his home town, Johannesburg, where he Occupies a seat on tho City Council, and whilst there he has already made arrangements (by cablegram) to address four recruiting meetings. Captain Simsoa has asked us to publish the following statement:— "On tho evo of my departure from Now Zealand I am asking the assistance of the Press to place in front of tho public tho. conclusions I havo come to with regard to roturned soldier problems. Theso conclusions I have arrived at by personal contact with, and information gathered, both from returned "soldiers and citizens throughout tho Dominion. "The treatment of 'returned mem pending discharge; tho employing and absorbing of those who aTe physically fit for cortaiu work; encouraging and cultivating the best that is in.these men; the benefit of gradually_ reducing the interim difficulties arising out of" the difference between active service conditions and normal citizenship. "As financial help is ono of the outstanding headlines, I have paid particular attention to tho administration of patriotic funds subscribed by public-spirited Icitizens—money which has been given and provided, I consider, to bo a means of bridging the difficult stage throughout which a returned soldier in tho first six months passes. ... "The tendency, I regret to say, is to look upon these funds as the, Genesis aud Revelations of New Zealand's voluntary'subscriptions, and to expect the interest earned by this capital to provide sufficient revenue for helping returned men. This is a grave error. Tho locking up of these funds will, in my opinion, not assist tho returned man in theway it was intended by the donors of this money. Your expenses wi'l grow, secretaries and others will , liavo to ho paid, maladministration may creep in—so wake up while your funds aro; healthy, and act promptly. ','Let tho funds bo employed at onco to'establish the man on tho land, start him in business, in finding employment for him. Every farmer who can possibly employ a returned man, should do so, and if tho man does not immediately give him value for every pound ho pays him, he will do so indirectly. By all farmers adopting the same method, and so creating'a school of instructions you will finally get the men on the land. "When you havo absorbed, and rehabilitated the first ten thousand, they will hack you up, and act as an organisation to assist you with the men to follow, and' you must all realise that a producing country like New Zealand must always be a ono. "It will take ten years : for England aud tho Allies to return to'normal conditions aftor this war; whereas, New Zealand has only the problem of her returned men to face, and in settling them on tho land, and absorbing thorn in other ways slio is only increasing her, prosperity. . . ' "In various parts of New Zealand large sums have been subscribed, and what has been done? This is a question one meet's' with every day, and unless it can bo satisfactorily answered tho free-giving, generous 'man will in future keep his pockets closed. You will, perhaps, have noticed that if you ask a man to subscribe to funds now, he does not respond in tho same way asjio would if he know the funds were doing good. You must show., results right away. If you ask the same man to give you fifty,, a hundred, or oven five. hundred to start a returned soldier on tho land or in business, the money will be given freely',' as tho giver knows his gifts will not only be appreciated, but will bo the means of making a returned mail an asset immediately to this Dominion. "In my humble opinion the money subscribed has been given with the idea of helping tho returned' man or the dopondants right' away, and not doling it out in loans, just big enough to get a man into trouble, and not doing the good it would if you put tho individual on his feet—so tnat ho can be a producer and an asset to tho couutry. Of course, you will say this will require moro money than wo have, but, sir, theso aro not tho only amounts that will be subscribed. New' Zealand is still prosperous, and will continuo to grow rich, and who is entitled to share-this wealth with'you?' why, sir, it is tho man who has dono his .job, and returned, or his dependants, if he ha's given his all for your liberty. "Now, 'briefly, there are several ways of handling : this question, but yon must start with a man when ho returns, and got him before ho drifts; remember, that though ho may have boon a waster before he left, ho now returns as a better mail. "Dealing with the question of land settloment, I would like to see somo big, man m this country rise to tho occasion, and propound a scheme whero you could place,; say, ono-hundred returned soldiers at a timo on a block of land, providing them with stock, working capital, and instructors to teach tile men- farming, so that as each man learned his lesson, he could bo given a block of land on easy terms for himself, and while serving his cadetship, he'would be drawing wages, and would in time save enough to make him a little independent of the charity now offered linn. ■ "Tho soldier does not require charity, and ho _ resents it. What he wants is a fair start, without favours, and mark you, sir, if 1 may bo permitted to say so, if' ho is not handled now properly tho timo will come when ho will handle tho situation himself.'. "Remember,- the most important timo to. help tho returned soldier is when ho first lands. He has Dcen long enough away to unsettle him for a citizens' life, and it was to help this position that I have given my timo while in New Zealand to establish soldiers' clubs, recognising it keeps tho man off the street, and gives him an opportunity of meeting his pals—somo who have returned to their work, and thoy encourage him in many ways—talking over, the obstacles thoy havo met with, and through tho generous help of civilian friends have been ablo to get into good positions or on the land, or in business. "You must appreciate, sir, that the man treated right will amply repay the country through his influence with the 'grousers' who return by every boat, If you do this, the timo will como when the majority of our boys will bo happy, settled, and contented, doing well for themselves and for tho Dominion as a whole. "Of course, you will find a percentage who may turn.out bad, but you must not penaliso the majority on account of tho uncertainty as to who aro tbo undeserving."-