THE, SOLDIERS' CLAIM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 297, 11 September 1919, Page 6

THE, SOLDIERS' CLAIM

AN UPROARIOUS DEPU- J : v TATION l "■■THE DEMAND FOR THE £150 ? . ■ . ' ' c ■ I: WINDOWS IN PARLIAMENT « ;:?' ''HOUSE SMASHED a ~,. '.>... r 6 \ c V Tho'doputation authorised by a meet- r ing'of'tba,Returned Soldiers' Association 1 on Tuesday night interviewed tlio Prime \ Minister, and other members of the Houso yesterday'.' The returned soldiers gather- s ed in ; ,iorce;;on Lamb ton Quay tit a p.m. and marched in procession, beaded by ft ■' pipe band, to tlio Parliamentary Build- ] ihgj : There appeared to be something 'like "-'looo'-returned B6Uliers present, hi p addition, to. spectators. The deputation i gathered outside the building and wait i ed with rioi6y impatienco for Mr. Massey 1: And Sir, Joseph Ward, who cauio to the t door after the usual.adjournment of the House at. 5.80 p,m, ' When Mr. Massey, and Sir Joseph "Ward appeared on the stops at tho south g entrance;' * there was great' uproar. The' v spokesmen of the deputation were'unable t to get a'hearing. They appealed to the ( men to be eilenc, and: gradually obtained c some Teenlt. s Mr. R. J. P. Aldrich, secretary of the c R.S.A., started to speak when the noise c had subsided to some extent, but'tho in- ( ] terruptions continued. \ t Tho Prime Minister, after waiting for e some time, 6aid he would refuse to listen v to the deputation/unless order could bo { maintained. < c The intfUTuptions continued, and tlio T Ministers and the deputation's spokes- [ i men entered the building and proceeded a to the Cabinot chamber. ■' The crowd { outside was still.noisy and, with tho c assistance of some pipers, it occasionally t made ..hea" o ?. difficult in the Cabinet s room. ' /' s THE SOLDIERS' CASE. I Jtts. R. J. F. Aldi-ich. secretary of the, j, Wellington Returned Soldiers' Assoeia- r ,tion, aoologised for' tho absence of the. 'chairman, Mr. J, D. Harper, who -was unable to.attend owing to illness in his family. He introduced the deputation, and presented .tho resolution passed ' unanimously at the meeting of thepre- "j • vious evening. ,He said that ho bslioved ' the "resolutions voiced the sentiments of , all returned soldiers in the'country. A ' number of questions were to he framed to bo submitted to candidates for politi- « cal honours, and his opinion was that ■, tic first of tHeso questions would have j ~ to.do with gratuities. ~ Captain Sievwright made practically j the.sama speech as ho had made the previous ievening .at the moeting. When , .h'e.came to the .passage to the effect that tho returned soldiers now knew' what they wanted and were determined to get ,«,'•.:•■, • '■ | Mr. Massey interposed: I hope that is not-a threat? , . Captain Sievwright: "No. sir, it is not a j threat. Wo bto here to state our demands j ; "in as determined a way as we can." Ho' went' on to eay that- it wag generally. ; agreed that there shouid bo a gratuity. , The only question was as to tho amount. . It was'agreed 'that th- gratuity should \ be ..'adequate.. What was adequate? Sir. i Joseph Ward had)stated that the re- j turned soldiers should nave generous , treatment. What was generous? The j . Speech of the |Gcvernor;Gerieral at tho I 1 opening of Parliament, the Speech put : ) into his' lands %j his advisers, had said ( that the soldiers deserved tho utmost , that the country could do for them. It , has been-suggested that the amount , ' shouldJb'e £1 a month. ■■'' Sir James Allen said that he had never . made any 6uch statement, and that was not the proposed scale. ■ Captain Sievwright ! usefi the argument that there wore in the country now 80,000 . returned soldier voters, and they could ■ influence 80,000 more, making a total of . 160,000 in all. Mr. Massey: I don't think that is an argument, that should bo used. , Captain Sievwright explained that he '■' rwas. not making-use of the figures, as a ./threat, }■ All, ho intended to convoy was 'that no candidate for Parliamentary honours had-the right to expect tho support . of tho returned soldiera unless he was 'prepared.t6 agree witli their requegte. ■ Mr. ■ Massey said he wished to point out to the''spoaker that ho' was making a-mistake'in putting his case in that , way, and..this ho (Mr. Massey)'did not . iwish to happen. In effect, Captain Sievwright was. saying that returned soldiers wore going to insist on members of Parliament bribing them in order to get' their 1 voteSv, Captain Sievwright did not quito got •Mr..Mossey's meaning. Ho declared l;hat he 1 objected, to tho use of the. word '•"bribe:" r. , In- .conclusion, ho "made the request .'that-, the Government give ■ a decision « .within, a, week or ten days. ;'-Mr;- J, M'Konzie said that he did nc|; like the term gratuity. He looked upon- . the .payment as compensation to the eol;d.ierV for/hardships -and dangers endured, and ; for opportunities lost: while absoil; from the country v on service. Ho pointed ,"|tb" ; the 'fact'..that' tho 'House had. some 'days ago: .'passed a , Bill <to provide a .'(trifling sum of 12J millions .for Ithe sot- '. itlement of sojdiors on tW land. The • Ireturned soldiers would not touch a /half ranmr of that money. That money .would be. used as an endowment of tho -landowners "of this country, The soldier •would; merely, have itho use of the land, '<£he right to go on'to it and work 'to ,prbyide interest for the man who was■Ml a position to take advantage of the •favourable .market's. - He declared that in.the war; time the only people in the country who nmdo any sacrifices' were young men of military ago. Wliilo they had been away everybody had been allowed to ostort the last penny for .'goods ■or services that (bhe law of supply and demand would allow him to obtain, Tho soldier' had not been in '{y position ti bargain, ns.' to how much the' lob was v #)rthT '■ MR. MASSEY'S REPLY, Mr, Massey in reply, said i,I want to say this to youi If you or 'the returned soldiers generally have any idea that the Government or Parliament, or, tho people of this country intend to do anj- ; injustice to (rie soldiers, or to do anything unfair, or ungenerous, then got that idea ou6 of your heads, because it ie mistaken. We appreciate -and the people 'of this, country approciaiio the services given to. tho Empire and to this country by tho New Zealand soldiers, and we intend to do the right thing by them. Mr,. Massey went on, to refer to the Statement of Captain Siovwright that ho (Oaprata Sievwright) expectod that when he arrived in tho country-two and n half months ago the gratuities soalo would have been fixed. Tho reason why it had . not been fixed was that decision was bejel on account of tho absence from tho country of the two' leaders of tho Government who had been doing very important work on tho othor sido of tho world. For the same reason tho scheme in Australia had also been held up. One of the speakers had asked whether the attitude of the Government wag. favourable to the returned soldiers. The answer b that was that when vacancies in the Cabinet had to be tilled they had been filled by tho appointment Of two returned soldiers—Major Hino end Major Coates, both good men, who had , <}one good service-on tho fields of France '" jend^Palejtino, Captain Sievwright: Wo agree, withthat. But wo apeak for the general bodv of returned soldiers. Mr. Massey said that these two mem- . hereof, the Government would represent the'interests of tte returned soldiers in the Government, and their presence in the Government would be suffloient asthat the interests of the returned soldiers would be watched in the Government. Fault had been found also with.tho policy of tho Government with regard to repatriation of tho'-fioldier.?, with special reference to land settlement. Tho fact was that magnificent work was being .done by the Repatriation Depart-ment-arid the hundreds of people assisting in the work in this country. There was no country in. tho 'world that was doing so much for the returned' soldiers as was heing done in this country. • Captain-Sievwright: The averago returned soldier doss not want a loan. / Mr- Maseey said tha. 1 loans; were not fts ojily sort of assistance heing given

to returned, soldiers. There wero some 2fl(X) returned, soldiers being instructed in trades. 'This would bo of mnch more use to them than a loan in the years to' come. It should bq understood. that irb.cn speaking of soldiers they were peaking of tho wholo manhood of New jealaud between certain ages. There ,-as hardly a family in New Zealand that :ad not sent a son or other relative to tlio ■ar. Thoso in charge of the administration f tho public affaire of this country •ould not do an iujustico to the retumd soldiers. The desire of every memer of tho Government, of every man u Parliament, was to do more for our oldiers than had ever been doho by any ountry in the world. When they had nisbed lie thought they would' have ealisod their ambition. Both of tho peukers had mentioned that won'going n land had to tako over their land with iqrtgagcs. But. thero wore a very argo number of soldiers who, if they .'ero allowed to sell their land—and ho id not think it would be .right to allow hem to do it just yet—could get large lima for goodwill of their holdings. Captain Siovwright: That may be! 'robably they got their land two years 1 go. Smco then tho values' of land havo leen inflated every day. * Mr. Massey said that many of the nles of 'land that had taken place in '. went years wore only paper sales. 1 fory little cash had passed. It might i is that-this would lead to trouble in 1 he future, but lie hoped it would not. i THE GRATUITIES SCHEME. , As to the preparation of "the scheme, of : ratuities, the Defence Minister, who had i rorked harder than ajiy other man for i ho soldiers, could toil of tho reasons for ' Iclays". _ He (Mr. Massey) had had no < oncoption of tbc ditiiculties of tho < chemo until he saw it for himself re- i ently. The proposals would have to, omo before' Cabinet agaiu. When they < id come before Cabinet the ropresenta. < ives of the returned soldiers in tho Govrninviit, Major Hine and Major Coates, I rould be \ present. Tho matter would ! ie dealt with finally, ho hoped, in tho ] ourso of >a few days. It might be a "oek or ten days. The Government had < inch urgent business to do at present, i nd there were .not many opportunities i or mooting in Cabinet. Ho thought ho „< ould i)romiso that tho proposals that | I ho Government would make would bo atisfactory to tho great bulk of the i oldiers and to tha great bulk of tho 1 icoplo of the Dominion. Tho represen- j ations put.by the deputation would ave consideration when the scheme was 1 iest considered .by Satinet. . ' ' i THE LIBERAL LEADER. Sir Joseph Ward said lie had listened ' o tho representations of both of tho ' p'cakerswith the deepest intorest, and ' io had been sl.Tuck with tho logical cquenca of the arguments used in jus- ] iiication of the application they wero ' naking on behalf of returned spldiers ! leneratly. It would l not rest with him . ixcopt as an individual' member of tho ■ louse to settle what might be proposed ] iy the Government, and, like tho 'sol- ' tiers, be would havo to wait for tho Soveniitfentfs proposals. But he kneiv if no men deserving of more generosity ' ban the men returning to this. counkji-j ' ifter years of service, and ho was oho ' if those prepared to go a long way in ecognition of those services. He. wished ' o say this in the presence of members [ if the Government. He agreed, wilih , nembers of the deputation that the iuiation of land values was a danger to he country, and that it was one of Iche natters that would have to be recoglised in .connection with gratuities. It i'as tho "prevalenca of conditions Buch is the inflation of land values which ras causing repeated demands on'the Treasury for millions, aiicl was sowing io seeds of dissatisfaction, and revoluion in the community, Ho was anxious :o laesißt the Government) in dealing vith Ishis matter, and .ho. certainly did lot want to niako difficulties for tho liovernmeut. He recognised, the fcremenious responsibilities of the Government md be was. prepared to. do fhe right thing, the fair thing, and the generous ;hing in dealing with this question. -This Fas his sincere feeling in tho matter. THE LABOUR REPLY. Mr. Holland replied on behalf of the Labour Party. He said that the Labour Parly would stand for tho fulfilment of every obligation to tho ' returned . soldiers. Whatever their views hail been, about tho war and about conscription, the Labour people nad always been consisted;, in that respect. They would certainly stand for the payment of the gratuity on a flat rate. . He could not say what the attitude pf the party would be as to tho exact figure to be paid, because he had not hau the opportunity of consulting his colleagues. Their answer would most certainly ba given within a. week. Mr. Holland talked at some length on'war finance problems from the Labour-Socialist point of view. The deputation; thanked the leaders of the parties'and tho members of Parliament! for having received them.' '■■ THE SCiFoUTSIDE . AN UPROARIOUS DEMONSTRATION. Great confusion andjyubbub prevailed outside the building wmlo the deputation was proceeding. Apparently many men in tho crowd did' not understand what (fas' afoot within, and there were loud and insistent demands for tho Pi'imo Minister' to appear on the balcony, Those demands the rowdier members of tho gathering attempted to enfbrco by shouting, jostling, Mid pushing,' and by smashing panes of glass in the portico. All tho panes at the front of the portico were broken, cheers accompanying the tinklo of falling glass. Mr. Massey finally left the spokesmen of tho deputation. Within tho building and appeared on tho balcony. There was a tremondous uproar, and some who could' distinguish him demanded tho removal of his hat. M'r, Massey leaned over, and, waving his hat, attcnvpte"E to securo a measure of order before commencing ; to speak. As well as ho could, amid the intermittent-din, tho Prime Minister said that the spokesmen were inside, and that ho had interrupted Mr. Sicvwright in order to come out and explain the position. A voice: Tell Mr. Sievwright' to como out. The case would bo fully heard, Mr. Massey continued, and would bo fully considered. ""'" , There was deafening -uproar at inffrvals during the explanation, and Mr. Massey ;6oon abandoned the attempt to quieten tho crowd by further speech. When tho Primo Minister kid retired. Mr. R. Semp'ie (Wellington South) stepped into tho breach and received a fair hearing. Ho urged the crowd to retain its character of "a good-humoured demonstration," and do nothing that would .bring discredit upon tho soldiers' cause. (Hear, hear.) "If you don't get what you deserve at the hands of those of us who are sitting in Parliament to-day," he said, "you have tho constitutional remedy of putting us out in a month or two. Sir James Carroll also said a few words later on. fortunately, the mora ominous signs apparent in >the uelwviour of the crowd at tho start did not aftor all develop into any thing moro seriws than a good deal of rowdyism. THE SPOKESMEN'S REPORT. After leaving tho Ministers, tho spokesmen returned to tho deputation, which was still making considerable noiso outside the shattered windows of tho portico. Mr. M'Kenzio said ho had to report that ho and tho other spokesmen liad interviewed Mr. Massoy, Sir Joseph Ward, and Mr. Holland, and had got "a very favourable hearing." Voices: What is it? How much? Mr. M'Kenzie: Mr. Massey has assured us that tho Government's proposals as thoy at present stand will f;o before Cabinet, for further consideration this week. (Uproar.) It on have to recognise that although Mr, Massey is Primo Minister he has not got power to say nfc five miuutes' notice what tho Government shall do. (Interruption.) Ho must consult his colleagues. (Cries of dissent.) You can't do anything further hero tonight. A meeting is called for Friday for the purpose of receiving. the report of this deputation. That is all we have for you to-night. (Uproar.) Captain Sievwright thanked the returned men for their attendance. The spokesmen had interviewed tho lcndnrc of the three parties in tlio nouse. They hnd asked the leaders *v go to tlioir parties and Kettle what they wore going to du. Mr. Holland hod said that the Lab'our Party would reply within a week. Mr. Massey had stated that Cabinet would reach its deciston within ten days. (Interruption.) "Let mo tell you. this." added Captain Siovwright: "yesterday the gratuities seemed a long way

off. To-dav they tiro getting nearer. I can tell you this: Wo shall have the gratuities definitely settled ouo way or tlio other before the election. (Applause.) . . . I ask you all to coine to tlio meeting-on Friday, night. You hnvo behavod ns go'od soldiers. (Laughter.) I appeal to you to go quietly away from this building and meet on Friday night for further consideration." The deputation then dispersed. A POLICE REPORT ON THE DAMAGE. The smashing of several panes of glass in tlio portico of the old Parliamentary Buildings was practically the only damago dono by the noisy deputation.- From the statement'of a constable who was oue of those responsible for keeping tho crowd out of tho, building, it' appears that one man with a walking-stick caused the breakages.