SOLDIERS' GRIEVANCES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 277, 19 August 1919, Page 6

SOLDIERS' GRIEVANCES

COMPLAINTS OF INJUSTICE

ALLEGATIONS AGAINST RAILWAY

DEPARTMENT,

Several complaints were made at last night',-; meeting of the Wellington lieturned Soldiers' 'Association of injuslico having been done to returned men. One member slated that ho know of a ease ivbere a man who had four years' good service at the front had applied for tho position of an assistant building inspector in the Government service. The no.-iitiou was not advertised publicly, but hail be?n announced in tho Gazette. The reply the man received wa6 that, not b<vng in tho Public Service, he was not eligible to apply for tho position, and his claim could not bo considered. Was that giving preference to returned soldiers? Surely such a man had performed public service in fighting for his country.

A voice: Ho has been doing national service.

The chairman. Mr. .T. D. Harper, said that if particulars of the case were snven to tho committee the matter would be followed up. Another instance reported was that of a man who applied to the Government for assistance in buying a house that belonged to his' father. Before the son went away the father had the house in the market, tlio price ho nsjeed then being i!7(io. When hp the son was returning, the father withdrew the buise from, the market with a view of idlowincr his c on a chance of obtaining it for -£600. The house contained six rooms, was surrounded with shrubs and trees, and was ten years old. Applicntion wns made for financial assistance through the usual channels, and a valuetion fee of .-62.25. was naid, but. a reply was received that tho valuation vas unfavourable and that no recommendation for the nurchnse. of the place could he made. 1 The soldier lost his S'fl 2a.. but the house was afterwards put into the market and sold within a week for .£B.IO. Mr. Harper indicated that on uartioulars being supplied, tho coi&nittoe would | investigate this case also. Another member stated that no knew of a case whore a man had obtained employment at his trade after having served four-years at tho front. . He was not a member of his trade union, but the secretary of the union informed tho employer that the man would either have to become a member of tho.union, or else his place would have to be filled by a unionist who had not been to the war. ''I ask you," tho speaker added. . if wo ate to put up with that sort of thing? "That is-rather a _ ticklish question, and it is really bordering on what I may call politic.*," remarked the chairman. "Our association is composed of members of nil shades of opinion, and I hope that will In: the case always. We are .hero for one particular obieet, and that is to further the good feeling that existed between us during the time we were m Ihfc trenches.. We me hers for one another's mutual benefit. We don't want lo bring in Hi? question ot unionists or non-unionists, Capital or Labour, li ( l]- i01 ' or non-liquor, or anything or that kind. The great reason for this association is the mutual benefit of one another and the furtherance of the spirit of brotherhood that sprang up while wo wore in the trenches. That is the very tiling that is going to hold us together. If we are going to discuss this labour question, or politics, we will bo soon split up." , Complaint was 'aised by another member that tho Railway Department was insisting on the n edicai examination oi men who lmd been' discharged from tho Army "Fit A," and that some of tliese had been turned down and refused reinstatement in the service. . Mr. Harper said this question had been considered by the committee. The medical examination for the railway service .was stricter than any other examination. He (lid not know how the association \va» going to compel tho Department to make the examination less strict. It was stated that tho-Mimster of Kailways had declared that the Government could not employ a man unless he was "A class." Yet the Government were ir;king private employers to engage disabled men. One speaker said that tho Government had drafted unfit men into tho Army, and after using them in France and Germany had discharged them as fit, 111 order not to pay them a pension. Such men had merely-been tools of the (government. It was discreditable to the medical profession that doctors had passed such men for active service, lie had been told bv a battalion medical officer that the doctors received their instructions from Headquarters as to what they should do. Such a. state of was a disgrace to the Government. 3lr. .A. Cnrfaync said lie had not heard of any "Fit A" men who had'been turned down' by the liailway Department,' although 'he had been told of cases where disabled men had not secured reinstatement in the sen-ice. Before approaching the Government on the matter, it would be necessary to find specific instances of unfair treatment. After some little further discussion it was decidod to ask the Minister of Hailways to receive a deputation on the question of th? re-emp'oymeiit of men who had been discharged from tho Army.