WAR GRATUITIES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 296, 10 September 1919, Page 8

WAR GRATUITIES

DEMANDS OF R.S.A. £150 FOR TWO YEARS' SERVICE DEPUTATION TO PARLIAMENT. A meeting of about 2000 returned soldiers was held in the Town Hall last night to discuss the question of war gratuities. Mr, J. D. Harper, chairman of tho Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association, presided. At times the proceedings wero. lively, but on tlw whole the interjections made were of a jocular nature.

Mr. D. J. B. Seymour, gi moral secretary of the N.Z.R.S.A., said he wanted to point out that the gratuity matter was a Dominion question, as well as a local matter; so he hoped those present would keep in mind the general aspect of the question.'. The recent conference had held that the gratuity was a gift, and couid not be claimed by soldiers as a matter of right. For that reason the conference felt that ij; .should not seek to influence the Government as to the amount to he paid out, or tho manner of - payment. (Dissent.) Sir James Allen, however, had expressed a wish that the association should give some indication of what was desired. Therefore, a, sub-committee' of the executive had recommended that there should be a rate of Is. per duy for everybody up to the rank of captain, and 2s. per day for all over-that rank. (Loud cries of disapproval.) Tho sub-committee felt that a flat rate was a desirable thing, but they knew that men from the rank of captain upwards had noi: drawn any separation allowances for tin ir wives.

Voices; "What a pity!" and loud daughter. ! '

Mr. Seymour: That was i;ho necessity for the .distinction between the ranks mentioned. (Cries of "Bot!' ; )

A..'member: "What percentage of tho N.Z.E.I''. was represented at that conference ?

Mr. Seymour replied that something like a third were directly represented.

Mr. Magnus Badger moved that the meeting go into committee, but tho resolution was lost.

Mr. A. E. Sievwright nio'red: That this meeting of returned soldiers of Wellington form itself into a deputation to interview (it 5.30 p,m." ■ to-morrow the Priino Minister, tho Leader of the Opposition, and the memhers of both Houses of.parliament, with the mover and"Mr. J. 11'Kenzie as spokesmen,' with power 'to add'to their number, to place before them tho demand of .£l5O by . way of gratuity for each soldier for two years' service out of New Zealand, such sum to be mere or less, according as tho length of sorvico is more ,or less than ;two -years,, every soldier to be put on an equal footing ■without distinction as to :nank. Tho motion was greeted with loud cheers. Criticism of Executive. "Whon I roturnecl to New Zealand two find a. half months ago I expected to find a progrossivo K.5.A.," said Mr. Siovwright. '•! expected to find that it had taken .up a decided stand with regard to gratuities. But, what was the position? Ifour executive was without a definite policy, and your chairman stated that ho had taken up tho attitude of 'wait-anri-eeo' wltyt Sir James Allon had to propose. I* contend that gratuities should havo been arranged two years- ago, but (hat time has been allowed to pass, and nothing: has been done." Tho returned soldier was justified in demanding just and fair treatment, in the same way as the Second Division League, in every constitutional way that lay in his power. The Second Division League knew what it wanted, - and got it. The U.S.A. did not know what it wanted and. got nothing. Sir James Allen said that tho gratuity must be adequate. What was adequate? In his manifesto. Sir Joseph Ward stated that "generous treatment must be accorded to tho soldiers who hc.vb fought for this country." What was "generous treatment"? At tho.opening of Parliament the Govornoi-General said that soldiers were entitled to the utmost that the country could give. What was tho utmost New Zealand could give? Thoso were all pretty wordi:. Sir James Allen was said to have proposed £12 per annum. Was ithat adequate ? Each New Zealand' soldier had been" on service for two years on the average, thus each was to receive £24. Was that adequate? Was it generous, and was it the utmost tfcjt New Zealand could alford? What was lAe gratuity for? Sirwty it was to enable tho returned soldier to bo placed in a position to establish himself in life— S. « IVo ,him. a. chance to compote with fthoso who did not go to'the front, and who had made hundreds, nay, thousands "Jf efforts, A sum of Mi would hardly buy a civilian outfit ae prices went to-day. The offer of-so inadequate a sum, was not only unfair and.unjust W was an insult to the man who had fougll-, and a. disgrace and a public scandal to the Dominion. If that was Sir James Allen's idea of an adequate grata-' ity, it was utterly unworthy. b 6 > x Wfha the people of'the lorntoy would have forgotten that there was je wero. The Government, to-day saidTes, you havo won tho war for us Zi we are pfeftj to you, bv.t noV we do not need you any longcr-now vo c an go about your business. 1 In other L-k the Government was readr to tlirnl « ' returned sollier into the g*t a K ftßt Tlf6 .^^SSth Tho returned soldiers wera 8 per c nt of the population, and were thev not mm§o fM '»**. -the "Mf° S°. vornor feaeral' S phrase tne utmost this country can afford" During the war fortunes hid been Zt. ™H b YTY v , ho , ' lrad beMnl and who.kadhad the opportunity of n . dulgrng in tho orgy of Li spcTuhting and profiteering that had -boon go in " on S. th 9 D( SJ illiol] - Had the GcrSX toa war they would have demanded 250 millions by way of indemnity from the ablo to find the money if t had been de" manded. A great deal „f public expenditure was under consideration. There was the nationalisation of the coal mines a hydro-elecbical scheme (o cost seven millions and State purchase of the li q „™ trade, Aa cost eight millions. Tiio«e might bo good proposals at any time, but not before tho debt niviiuj to the returned soldier was paid. , Before-New Zealand spent a vast sum on n naval programme she must pay adequate and just gratuities to the men who won the groat war (Applause.) Money was pourin« into tho country as a result of the Ihigli prices obtained for food in Europe A short time ago it tvns announced thai Sir Douglas Haig (now Lord Haig) was given a gratuity of .£100,0110," continued Mr. Sievwright. "Taking.his annual'puy at ,£2OOO, and his war swvico at five years, the New Zealand private would receive on the samo basis ,£9OO per annum, And Sir Douglas Haig would be the first to acknowledge that the soldier is just as necessary as t'.io officer for winning battles. I would, therefore, urw thnt as far as this country is concerned, the gratuity as I have proposed be granted without distinction as to ranlc. It was right that during tho war there should bo moro pay for the officer for his work. Ho had greater responsibility and moro expenses, but now that tho war is over we _must all start fair i\nd in a democratic country bo givcu equal op- ' portunity. I therefore support '» 'flat rate' all round. . . . It nay hp ■•ilpnH l that the' necessary money to pay."" a gratuity of this amount cannot be loiiuil. It can be found, and found at once. If tho present Finance Minisler cannot find it ho will havo to go. *'Loud cheer-;.) And if everyone, else fails, men ffym among the ranks of the returned soldiers could find the necessary amount and be able to pay out theso gratuities by (Ihristmas of.tin's year." Mr." Sievwnght declared that if tho Prime Minister would not receive the deputation, then

received a promise that another political leader would do so. Compensation for Hardships, Mr. J, iM'Kenzie, in seconding the motion, said tho returned soldiers must voice their demands otherwise they would receive very little attention indeed. Tho soldiers had not had tho opportunities of making money that some people had had during the war. Those who. had had anything to soil had been allowed to charge the very utmost for their goods. The soldiers should take a leaf out of the book of those peoplo and demand what was their right. The Government was proposing a loan of £12,000,000 for the settlement of returned soldiers on tho land. The soldiers would not get the return, but the rich landowners. Whatever was asked for should be demanded not as a gift, but as compensation for hardships _ endured and for opportunities lost during absence from New Zealand. (Applause.)

Replying to a question, the chairman said the executive of the Wellington _ Association had considered tho question of gratuities. In view of the feeling of the meeting, however, he knew that the prouosals drawn up would not be popular. The executive had recommended Is. Gd. a day for privates and 2d. a day extra for each rank above that.

Voices: Ah, class distinction! Mr. A. J. Curtayne moved an amendment that before the motion was put 'the discussion should bo continued for threequarters of an hour in order that members of the executive .might have an opportunity of explaining their position, as reflections had been cast upon them. The amendment was lost. A further amendment that the deputation should proceed to Parliament, that night was also lost. Mr. Curtoyne moved another amendment, that the motion he not put for half an hour. This was seconded, and Mr. C. W. Battejf came forward to support it. Ho said that tlio soldiers were agreed on some things, but it was evident they were not agreed on all. Mr. Sievwright: The. executive are not. Mr. Batten said he was not on the executive. Mr. Sievwright: Ton got off the executive to take a Government job. Voices: Cut that out! Mr. 'Batten hoped that Mr. Sievwright would withdraw that remark.. He trusted that the executive would have an opportunity of explaining its views on the subject. On being put to the meeting the amendment was negatived. 'A member opposed the gratuity being based on a flat rate, his contention being that an officer in the Dental Corps, or an officer at the base should not receive tho same rate as "a Digger who had served in the trenches." (Dissent.) In answer to a question, the chairman said it had been ascertained that the British gratuity had been fixed at ,£lB 12s. for three years' service, or 4'd. a day. Married privates in tho Canadian forces were to receivo -£125 for' threo yeara of 6ervice. whilst tho single men would ?et ,£B7 for three years of service, or s. 7d. n day. Inquiries had been made as to tho amount which tho Australian Government proposed to pay, but it was learned that no scheme had yet been prepared. After a good deal of further discuss.ionthe motion was put to the meeting and carried,' and it was decided to add tho name of* Mr. Haroer as one of tho spokesmen at the deputation. ■On tho motion of Mr. Sievwright, a further resolution waa carried, adjourning the raeoting until Friday evening to receive tho report of the deputation to Parliament, and t> formulate nnesHons to bo submitted to each candidate for political honours at the forthcoming elections. Mr. Sievwright.Baid the deputation to wait on Parliament would form up outside tho "Returned 'Soldiers' clubhouse, lambton Quay, at 3 p.m. to-day, and would march to Parliament House, headed by a pipe band.