RETURNED SOLDIERS AND POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 14, 11 October 1919, Page 6

RETURNED SOLDIERS AND POLITICS.

CHJtJ.STCH.UKCH ASSOCIATION DECLAIMS ITSELF. By Telegraph-Press Association. Christchurch, October 10, A meeting- of the Returned Soldiers' Association considered the question of whether tlie association should take political 'action. After discussion it was resolved thai, it be a. recommendation to the, conference, that the worn "non-politi-cal" lie deleted from the constitution o£ 'tli'n association. HASTINGS CCiXDIiMNS THE EX-" TREMISTS. Ry TeleEraoh-PrMB Ansoelitlon. Hastings, October 10. AI a general meeting of the U.S.A. last, night the following motions were carried(l) Bxprefsing confidence in tha Dominion Executive's action in connection .(villi the. present deadlock between tlid headquarters and Auckland; (2) that * there should be no alteration in the'constitution to provide, for political act,ion | (3i (a)- stronglv 'deprecating the action of • t.he Wellington. U.S.A. with regard to gratuities, and a/ll|Pnng to the resolution of the Christchurch conference, (l) that the scale..of payments unoer tho tiovcrmiieut gratuity. scheme, is , acceptable oil- the■ whole.. .. .. r ... •PALMBRSTON NORTH BRANCH.. (From Our Special Correspondent.) ••• .. Palinerston North, October 10. ■\ general meeting ot. the Palinerston North branch of the Returned; Soldiers Association-was held last evening, when there tvus a. {jood attpndancfi of members, Mr. H. ■ M. 'Haycock was appointed delegate to the conference of the assocta tioir to be held-in Wellington. . , Jfr. 1!. J. Jacobs (president) gaye ; .a'. resume of the work ' being carried out by the local-Repatriation Committee, of •which lie.is chairman.' He stated that his experience with, the cominittea had been a. .most happy one. The members were all'-thoroughly practical men, who were out to do' their .fet for'men-apply-ing for assistance, .and' their-sympathies were shown by the fact .that in some •instances applications which. liad_ been refused by the head office in Wellington had been granted in Palmerstbn,.. and subsequently pushed through. ~;Hq ex-. pressed the opinion .that the C-iovernmeiit ought to :be congratulated .upon the' qfticicncy -of the system, if all the committees were-doing- the same for the soldiers as was ,-Keiiig dona by the Palinerston North iC'ommitle.e, . . . . The recent march on Parliament in Wellington by returned soldiers was referred to by a member, .who moved to censure the' extremist . element in .Wellington for their action. Cousiderablß ■discussion followed, but it was eventually decided, to let. the. matter drop. .. .Mr. Haycock "introduced the . question of. tho distribution of patriotic funds, and.s-iid.that in his'opinion it was quite time that the- various patriotic societies made a move-in. the direction of ascertaining- how many permanently .sick aiid' disabled men tlie'y, would bo called- upon to assist. Whilo he. did not advocate the vholesnln distribution of the funds, he, thought that the time was opportune for the, societies to subsidise the Government gratuity,'so as to help, disabled men. who were establishing themselves .in, business: He. titromrly advocated tha nationalisation of . pntri.otic funds in accordance with the scheme propounded by ■M'\ Skerrett. He concluded by moving: "That the funds of all tho patriotic societies in New "Zealand should :be nationalised, and that the question of subsidising the cratuity of deserving cases in. the N.Z.E.F. should be brought. under the notice of all'patriotic societies."-

In'the. course of the discussion which followed it was evident that the.bulk of those present were strongly in favour of nationalising patriotic funds. It was ''pointed out that all disabled New Zealand soldiers were entitled to the sama amount from patriotic funds, bu.t tlial under the present scheme those from thq less wealthy districts would suffer ini comparison with the men more fortunately sittiaied. It was also explained ;that ijudejv tho present system much of ,the patriotic money, was being.. eaten up .by th'e payment of salaries' to fjijr staffs., ■and that under the nationalisation 'scheme nincli of this would lie''avoided.. The motion was carried unanimously. A resolution to the effect that, pensions paid to war widows and dependents sliould be increased, in view of the high cost of 1 ivinpr was also passed.. . ii. . Voided to affirm the opinion that all insurance companies should be asked to refund the amount of the war loadins 011 policies of soldiers iluriupr their absence •"'■t the. front. Jt was point' ocl out that tsouip eomnaiiips hatl already done this, and that tliey had been congratulated I'.non their action by other branches of the association. The Welliiurlon Ueturni-il Soldiers As. socio lion,-. at ife meeting last night do-' cidnd to reaffirm the resolution* uii I'i.v books- that (lie association should he a non-polildcal body.