RETURNED SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 251, 11 July 1918, Page 6

RETURNED SOLDIERS

RETROSPECTIVE SEPARATION I ALLOWANCES DISCUSSED BY LOCAL ASSOCIATION An adjourned general meeting of tin !S Wellington Returned Soldiers' Associa y tion was held last night for the discus i 0 sion of various mutters considered ai 1. the recent conference of returned sol y diers in Auckland. Mr. J. D. Harpei ?- (president) was in tho chair, nnd thori 5. wore about thirty members present, y In answer to a question delegater stated that tlio Auckland conference had been firmly of opinion that the increased r separation allowances should be rotron- spective, on the ground that men whe a served in the early stages of the wai i should not be on a worse financial basis g than men now going into emnn. TJic ~ Minister of Defence had replied thai j tho men who fought early in the wai ■ t went away as volunteers, with full s knowledge of the conditions. He saw s grave financial difficulties in the way of I, making tho present allowances retro- . spective. :1 Mr. J. Fox said that the returned sol- ,. mors were asking, that tho allowances r should be retrospective on grounds of . justice. 'The men who volunteered in „ the first years of the war did not make „ bargains. They did their duty without r pressure. ■ Many married men in those (. days drew only 6d. a day, the rest of 1 their pay having been allotted to their R wives. The men who had made these ? sacrifices had a right to say now that |. they should receive thp allowances since • granted to later recruits. It had been , said truly that tho early volunteers knew the conditions. But , what would have happened if i" en ion hnd ■ sto V ne( L to make bargains , in 1914. and 1915. The volunteers answerecl the. call at a time when men were _ urgently needed, not because they were satisfied with the pay, but because they f put their duty before any other interest. ' He believed that tho country Tecognised " the justice of tho demand that tho allowances should be retrospective. - Mr. Morpoth opposed Ihe propo.sal. He said lie would be heartily ashamed to go back upon the contract mailo in 1011 and to join the Second Division League in the demand for more money. Mr. A. Curtayne said the claim for retrospective allowances was very moderate. Men who had gone away rt tho beginning of the war, without waiting; to demand adequate allowances, wero called upon now to help pay largely increased allowances to men now joining tho forces. Mr. Morpeth paid ho icalised there had been a contract. But the married men of the Main Body and (he early reinforcements presumably had seen their way to go without leaving their dependants dostihU'o. He thought they should be proud of the patriotism they had displayed. Another member said, that when ho went away he had been a married man with .two children. He considered that'he had been guided by patriotic motives in enlisting. He had believed that tho enemy at the gate must bp met promptly. During his absence his savings had been absorbed, and his wife had been compelled to work. Pho had been pro;id to do so. But ho, certainly felt now that he shouJd share the increased allowances that he was helping to provide. He repudiated tho argument that his voluntary onlistiu'ent. in 1911 meant I hat tho old allowances were sufficient for his family. That argument ignored tho factor of patriotism. After further discussion, a motion calling upon the Government to make the present separation allowances retrospective was carried.. Mr. M. Badger moved that it should be a recommendation to the Government that on economic grounds any returned soldier in possession of uniforms and greatcoat shoald bepormitted to surrender the garments at an assessed value. Ho said plenty of returned men had sound uniforms which were going lo waste. Thoy were not allowed to sell tho clothing or. wear it. "The waste of khaki is simply scandalous," said another man. "Eeturned men are given clothing for which they have absolutely no uF>e. Mr. , Harper said the uniform had a sentimental value to many of the men. He understood New Zealand was the only country where a discharged soldier was allowed to retain his. uniform. A man could hand in his uniform if he wished, but he got no allowance for it. The Government could eavo money by making some allowance for the overcoats. Some of these coats were being dyed. The new scheme provided for tho return of tho overcoat before the returned soldier received his £b os. mufti allowance. The- motion was carried. A proposal that returned soldiers should have preference in appointments to hospital ship staffs was adopted.