WAR GRATUITIES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 21, 20 October 1919, Page 6

WAR GRATUITIES

DISKS® BY N.Z.8.5.!

PEOPLE THANKED FOR THEIR GIFT THE PAYMENT TO OFFICERS Tho subject of gratuities was discussed at Saturday night's sitting of the confercnco of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, when consideration was given to a remit from Auckland .that an inquiry should be held concerning: the action of tho execubivo sub-committee in Beting in defiance of the Dominion Conferonoe decision by suggesting to the Government that gratuity be. paid on the basis of Is. per day up to the rank of first lieutenant 'and 2s. per dny for men over ithat rank, this in spite of the fact that conference affirmed the principle that the association should not seek to influence the Government with regard to gratuity. l Mr. C. W. Batton, who was chairman of the sub-committee, said he personally considered that a bona fide mistake was 'made and lie wanted to apologise for it. At the same time there wns something to .be said in favour of what the sub-com-; mittoo had done.

Mr. R. J, F. Aldrich, a member of the sub-committee, said that although ' Sir James Allen had been advised that the Christchurch conference had decid- ; ed not to make any demand on the Government at all in regard to .gratuities, . the Minister ol: Defence had asked the i 1 Bub-oommittee to give some idea of what j was wanted. Whatever was done was in" !■, no way. an attempt to influence the Min- . ister. The speaker realised afterwards that a mistake had been made and that no action at all should have been, taken. The president (Dr. E. Boxer) said that the suggestion that all officers over the rank of lieutenant should receive 2s. per' ' . day was due to the fact that captains and officers of higher rank had ne\'er re- : ceivcd any separation allowance wheh on active ■ service. An injustice had too Ion? been done to ench officers. A'voice: They {rot good pay. thougih-. Captain R. P. Jones (Dunedin) taoved, : and, Mr. W. E. Leadley (Christchurch) Beoonded, that tho explanation be ac- : cepfed. "Piece of Impertinence." '! ' Mr.B. P. Andrews (Auckland) said a mistake had been made, by the subI , committee in going against the decision of the Ohristolvurch conference. In view • of; the fact that, the sub-committee went. ! in direct opposition to the decision of : . the conference, it was a piece of im- | pertinenoe on their part to send a letter V .to every nssooio'tion in the Dominion assane them to pass a vote of censure 011 tho Wellington R.S.A. for what it dW in' hha matter of gratuities. Mr. Batten: That was never done.. • Mr. Andrews: "I have a circular from Mr. Douglas Seymour, general secretary of the association, asking that that be . done.' 1 Although he did not agree with the action of the Wellington Association, ihe contended that the latter had an absolute right to pass any motion it thought fit on the matter of gratuities. "I want to know whether the card 3 aTe all on the table in connection with thin matter," remarked Mr. T. Long (Auek- / • land),, "for I don't think they are." It . appeared to him that an attempt 1 had been made to ilout tho wishes of con- -• : ferenoe, and, although he accepted the explanation of the sub-committee, 'he trusted that in future the wishes of conference would bo respected. Mr. E, W. Lider (Auckland) raid ha also accepted the exolanation, and asked leave to withdraw the remit. The remit was withdrawn. . Mr. A. B.' Sievwright (Wellington) said he was prepared to accept the explanation, : tut he felt it was rather late in the day for th'e sub-committee to Acknowledge its mistake. , ( The Wollinqton Demand. Discussion then took place "on a- remit from Wellington, dealing with the resolution passed at a meeting of the W.R.S.A., < asking that the gratuity be paid at the rate of. .£l5O for. two years' 1 service. The remit was. mo'ved by Mr. Sievwright, ■who asked the conference to support it. - Mr. Aldrich. rose to a point of order. Before the discussion could proceed he contended that it would be necessary to rescirid tho resolution passed at the Christchurch conference to the effect that the gratuity could not be regarded aa a right., •- Mr. SieTwrig'ht then moved in' that , direction, at the fyime time proposing that the, demand. of tho W.R.S.A. should ' be substituted for the motion passed 'at ; Christchurch. He said the returned sol-diers-'of'-Wellington were looking to the conference to support the attitude they had-' taken up.' He disagreed,'. and tho Wellington Teturned 6oldiers disagreed, that tho gratuity was a gift. The frratiiity. wM really a payment for hardships endured, opportunities lost, and ttf"give a chance to men to re-establish themselves in life. The demand for JOISO for-twij -years' service was not excessive. Mr. Sievwright then went on to speak 'on the same lines as he had addressed himself to meetings of tho W.R.S.A. and 'in letters to the Prws. If the conference . took the" view that the present gratuity was insufficient the extra money could be easily found, and the people would be ready and willing to pay it! Compared r.. with the Australian rates of pay, the New Zealand gratuity amounted to only 6d. per day Canadian soldiers were getting a gratuity five times as much as the New Zealand soldier was receiving. •-Mr.. Aldrich seconded the motion. '' "Absolutely Magnanimous." • 'Mr.' 11. 'Luxford (Waikato) moved the'.'following amendment"That this conference thanks the people of New Zealand for the grant by its Parliament of Is. 6d. per day for each day every soldier was absent from Now Zealand on active service, but hopes that the period soldiers aro in hospital in New Zealand 1 \ shall be included in their period of active service." , ■' "Sir. Sievwright remarked that tho committee which had been set lip to consider tho matter of gratuities had included in its report provision for such anomalies as feat mentioned in Ithe * amendment. The president also said that Sir. James Allen had announced that anomalies did exist. Still, the amendment was in or- \ der - • J Speaking toi-ilie amendment, Mr. Luxford said he thought the conference should express its thanks to the people of New Zealand for what they had done. The' people had supported tho soldiera throughout the war, and had provided funds for tliein when they were away. Now that the nien were back tho people were willing to give the soldiers something more than had already been . given. The soldiers could never forget what tho people had done for them. Such a thing as the offer of a gratuity at the .rate of Is. Cd. per day had never been done before. ''It is absolutely magnanimous of tho Government and the people of New Zealand to s/ivo us Is. . 6d. per day for every day we wero away from this country 011 active service," continued' Mr. Luxford, "and I hope 'this conference will affirm the amondment." V-(Hear. hear.)

Mr. E. P. Andrews (Auckland) seconded the amendment. A gratuity, lie said, was not a thing they should demand as a right. Tf they demanded it as a right then they would prejudice the demands ,thiy wero going to make on behalf of the afflicted men. (Hear, hear.) "There is only one remark I Jiave to make," observed Mr. 13. W. ,Inder (Auckland), "and I do so in tho form of a question: Did we enlist from any sense of duty, or did wo enlist to make what money we could out-of tho war?" (Hear, hear.) ■ Tho president supported the amendment. He affirmed the principle of the resolution passed at the Christchurch conference that Hie gratuity was a gift. If the sum offered was to be regarded as actual payment it would not J>e worth nnything, biit that, was not the position. On the whole, he submitted that the amount of assistance rendered to tho returned New Zealand roper was greater than that given , to the Canadian soldier. The returned soldiers, generally, felt that they had nothing particular to complain about. They had no right to turn round, refn6e the gift, and ask for more. Mr. D. Colqnhotm (Dunedin) said' he

was.against the motion, and against tho amendment ns well, as it was "too early in tho day to throw bouquets at any-, one." When the various problems affecting the returned soldiers had been settled thon it would be timo to offer thanks.

Mi-. J. I). Harper (chairman of the Wellington Association) said that tho Wellington demand had been approved at three meetings of the Wellington Association. Every effort that could he made on behalf of the disabled men must be put forth.

. After some little further discussion tho amendment wns put to the conference and carried, with only one or two dissentients.