THE SOLDIERS' GRATUITY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 53, 26 November 1919, Page 8

THE SOLDIERS' GRATUITY

MR 'LABOUR- - PARTY'S ACTIONS. (By T/olegraph.-Bpecial Correapondcnt.i Palmerston North, November 25. ■ At the conclusion of the meeting addressed by Mr/Nnsh ,last evening an attempt was made to. heckle him by some members of the Labour Party, who had keDt quiet during the evening. Mr. Nash was asked why hC'had voted against Sir Joseph Ward's proposal to give the soldiers a gratuity of two shillings per day, Ho replied that it was generally understood that the amount would be one shilling, and in moving tho Address-in-Reply ho hod advocated 10s. per week. He pointed out that the gratuity was not payment, but a gift. Ho was satisfied tliat Is. Bd. ner day was a fair thing, and though ho had met hundreds of returned men not one of them had had any complaints on that matter. He certainly would not fallow the labour Party into the lobby on the proposal to vote fifteen millions of gratuity. The Labour Party in the House had not played tho game. It had endeavoured to keep men from going to the front to assist tho poor devils who were going over the top, and as far as they were concerned they did not care a jot how ninny of them were left in the trenches.. He would I''3 ashamed to be associated with men like that. Mr. Nash's remarks were greeted with loud applause, and no nioro was heard from his interjectors.