SOLDIERS' CLUBS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3100, 2 June 1917, Page 8

SOLDIERS' CLUBS

A MINISTER'S REMARK COMPLAINT AND EXPLANATIONS. Some remarks of tho Hou. Ci. W. Russell, relative to the expenditure of largo sums of money on soldiers' clubs, drew a protest from a deputation representing the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association waiting upon .Sir James Allen. Captain Pitt took exception to tho following reported statement by tho Hon. G. W. Kussell:I think a largo portion of itho expenditure which hns been, aud is being, devoted to the establishment of soldiers' clubs might with great advantage bo spent in more practical directions. Captain Pitt said that he thought it w«.s "hardly a lair thing" for Mr. Russe'ft to say this. Sir James Allen, referring to this matter nfterwards, asked the deputation not to tako it for granted that Mr. Russell had made tho remarks in exactly the shape in which tbey appeared in the newspapers. At this time Mr. Russell came into the room to see Sir James Allen on other business, aud Sir Jamee Allen gave Mr. Russell an outline of the complaint, and what he himself had said about it.

Mr. Russell said that the opinion lio had expressed was iu accordance with an opinion sent forward to him by the Inspector-General of Hospitals. It would be well that lie should limfco clear exactly what lie understood by soldier.s' clubs. Ho spoke of those institutions established for the recreation and i entertainment of men who had belonged to the Forces, from which institutions \ ordinary civilians would Ire excluded. The opinion ho held very strongly was that the sooner these men who had returned sot back again into the general body of the imputation, and the sooner all distinctions between, returned soldiers and the rest of the community disappeared the better. His Department had raised the question in considering what .use could bo made of tho buildings after the need for them had passed away. Ho could say that ho had had correspondence with many men in several districts, who had strongly urged him to take up this matter, and to ask that theso places should bo so built that they could bo put to uso later on, Captain Pitt: You are not referring to returned soldiers' clubs ? Mr. Russell: I lenliso the necessity for such institutions as you havo here in Wellington, but from time to tiino I get proposal's from patriotic societies for the expenditure of sums of money on soldiers' clubs. You gentlemen will understand me very well when I say that I fear the tendency may be. for a certain class of men to regard these clubs'as places in which to put in time comfortably, and they will not be so anxious to get back to employment as they should be. While there should tin-, donbtedly be- places for tho entertainment of soldiers us tilings are now, 1. do not think they should be established as permanent institutions in which returned soldiers would be kept apart from tho general population. Mr. Seymour,- general secretary of the Returned Soldiers' Association, said that tho matter raised by Mr. Russell had very naturally been considered by 'the authorities at tho Wellington Returned .Soldiers' Club, and lie- was sure that they would welcome a visit to tho club from the health authorities, if tho authorities wished to find out how many of the men were in employment and how many wero : not. It would be found that practically all the men who used tho billiard-room, and the other rooms in tho club, wore in employment. And he thought this was characteristic of the clubs all over the country. Ho -could quite understand the feeling that theso clubs might be frequented by unemployed men of the lazy class, but this had not been the experience in practice. The endeavour had been to keep the control of the clubs in the hands of tho vesponsible thinking men, and to squeeze out tho irresponsible element. •Hβ thought that iip to date the association had been successful in carrying out this policy. It was" true that there were two clu'os in which there was an nudcsirnbln elcmont, but both of theso wore institutions over which tho Returned Soldiers' Association had no authority. Mr. Russell siid he had never had the slightest idea when ho made the remark of criticising any existing institution. Ho said ho was very glad to hear what Mr. Seymour had said, and ho accepted the correctness of it absolutely.

The deputation appeared to be well satisfied after theso explanations had been made.