RETURNED SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 108, 31 January 1919, Page 4

RETURNED SOLDIERS

THEIR ATTITUDE TO POLITICS. An official report of a big meeting of returned soldiers held in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall on Wednesday states that the greatest good-fellow-ship and enthusiasm prevailed. The purpose—free- and frank discussion of matters of interest to returned eoldiere iuid,the question of R.S.A. organisationwas so well achieved that the executive of the local association is already contemplating more meetings of the same kind. The speakers were the chairman (Mr. J. D. Harper, president of the Wellington R.S.A.), Messrs. E. F. Andrews (secretary of the Auckland P-.5.A.),- A. Curtayne (secretary of the Wellington K.S.A.), G. W. Clinkard, and J. I. Fox (manager of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Club). Among the visitors were Dr. M'Killop (Nelson) wd Mr. H. N. Haycock (Palmereton North). Mr. Andrews, whose organising ability had made him well known in Auckland and district, had a very warm welcome. Tho meeting unanimously approved the attitude of the R.S.A. Executive on retrospective allowances—the principle of retrospection as a right instead of the scheme of gratuities. The executive's stand on repatriation also received the meeting's solid support. The mind nnd fooling of the meeting wore azainst the scheme of the Ministerial Board, instead of one Minister with a clear, definite responsibility ,to the country. Among tho questions discussed was the employment of large mimbe/s of women in the place of a large number of men who went to the war. It was mentioned that with the return of tnnny~nien a difficulty might arise in this matter, and it wns urged that timely action should be taken, before the trouble became aggravated. Cheers and warm applause greeted a ■proposal that tho E.S.A. should test candidates for Parliament with a series cf questions on-matters of vital importance to returned soldiers. The suggestion was Chat while the R.S.A. would and cpuM not—in accordant with its constitution —become embroiled in party politics it could follow the example of other organ-' isntions, such ns the Educational Institute, the Public Service Association, the Post and Telegraph Officers' Association, and the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, in putting tost q lestions to candidates.