HOME SERVICE MEN

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 10, 7 October 1920, Page 6

HOME SERVICE MEN

A CLAIM FOR CONSIDERATION SYMPATHETIC SPEECHES IN THE HOUSE Reporting to the House yesterday upon the petition of the Home Service League Incorporated, the chairman of the Defence Committee (Mr. Glenn) 6tntted: "I am directed to report that the committee recognises the splendid services of the men who were retained on home service, but until all overseas men have been fully repatriated it can mnke no ' recommendation. Tho committee, howover, is of opinion that in the nieontinio some medal or badfe should be issued to home service men in recognition of their services." . The league had asked that homo service men should bo granted certain ol the privileges enjoyed by the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces Overseas men. Mr. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) said he was sorry that the committee had not r made a more favourable recommendation. He agreed that tho returned soldiers must be considered first, but many of the home service men,had a real claim to consideration. Some 'of them had been kept in New Zealand for special servico by tho Imperial authorities. A 6mall gratuity would make tho homo servico men feel that they were not entirely overlo.oked. Mr. Wright moved that tho report should be referred back to tho committee for further consideration. Mr. Wilford (Hutt) supported thte amendment on the ground that tho adoption "of the committee's report woulß do an'injustice to some men -who had a very strong claim to consideration. It was true that some homo service men deserved, nothing "at all. Mr. Wilford suggested that a commission should be net up to consider individual cases on . their merits. Mr. W.. H. Feild (Otaki) mentioned tho case of a man who sold his farm in order to enter camp, was found unfit, and was transferred to homo servico. He did valuable work in camp .during the war, and had since been dis- : charged without any gratuity or repatriation benefits. Discussion that followed indicated that tho home service men had somo advocates in tho House. Dr. Thncker (Christchurch East) asked why. a distinction i should be drawn between men who-served in the New Zenlnnd camps after enlisting for active service and men _ who ; never got beyond tho camps in Britain. Dr. Newman (Wellington East) told the ' House that many home 6ervico soldiors had been 1914 nnd 1915 volunteers who did not succeed in getting on active service. The rule in the British Army was that nil soldiers stood on the same foot- ; ing, since it clearly was impnssiblo that pverv man should go on active service. ; Mr.'Atmore (Nelson) quoted correspondence to show Hint* men employed on training 6tnffs nnd district staffs during the wnr had been refused permission i to proceed to the front and hnd been . told that they were doing the duty re- ( quired of them bv staying in New Zea- ( land. Other members spoke strongly on - behalf of the home service men. An- , other point mnde by supporters of tho amendment was that men who had gone away unwillingly in the late stages 0f.., tho' war hnd received nil repatriation benefits while .home servico men who had four years' service and hnd been willing to go to the front at any time got nothing. . i Mr. Glenn said he had no obiection to , tho report being, referred back to the copimittec, which bad merely recommended that the men who served abroad should havo'first consideration. The report was referred back to the committee. HOLDERS OF NEW ZEALAND CROSS PETITION TO HAVE A NAME REMOVED. Six holders of the New Zealand Cross (William Lingard and four others, and Ben Biddle and another) recently petitioned Parliament to have the name of Harry' Charles William Wrigly removed from tho list of holders of tho New Zenland Cross. , The chairman of the Defence Committee yesterday reported that in view of the conflicting decisions that hnd been reached by various committees which hnd from time to time inquired into the 1 question, the committee recommended the Government to institute a special ■ inquiry by a Supreme Court Judge or • other competent tribunal. SAMOAN AFFAIRS INDENTURED LABOUR QUESTION. The Upper House debate upon ttia second reading of the Treaties of Peaca Amendment Bill was continued yesterday. Tho Hon. R, Moore spoke at somo length upoU'Nie indentured labour question. He claimed that tho conditions under which tho Chinese worked in Samoa were better than those they enjoyed in their own country. f The Hon. J. Barr believed that controlled labour was a necessity in aamoa. The immigration of free labour from the East would' constitute a gravo danger. Sir Francis Bell, im replying, said that . the obliquy which had been cast upon the system of indenturing labour vas due to the blackbirding practices of former dnys. The sole object and effect of ' the. indenture wna to create the consideration under which the passngomoney was provided for the .labouior, and tho return passage was contracted for. Assuming that labour in one country wished to go to another, end that the second country desired tho .auoor to bo brought to it, it was only right that those who had the benefit of the free transit provided should undertake to stay for a definite time, and work for a definite time. There was no more di.nger of tho ill-treatment of Chinese labour ', m Samoa than there would to if the ( Chinese were working in New ZirJand under this country's present laws. The second reading was carried- en the voices. ' WESTPORT HARBOUR BOARD'S • PETITION REPORT OP COMMITTEE. The Westport Harbour Board recently petitioned tho Government (1) for the repeal of section 109 of the Finnncd Act, 1915; (2) for the refund of all moneys paid into tho Consolidated Fund by virtue of section 109; and (3) for the appointment of a Parliamentary commit--1 teo to inquire into tho administration of the board sinco 1914, and into tho ■ question whether the Westport Harbour i Bill was necessary or desirable in tho intorests of tho Dominion. R-eporting yesterday upon the petition, the A to L Committee stated that as a matter of policy was involved it had no recommendation to make. It ; was, however, of opinion that in the ' event of the Government taking over tho Westport. harbour, ample local rcpresen- | tation should bo given on tho controlling authority. , LOCAL BILLS AND GENERAL ACTS When tho second reading of the Christi church Tramway District Bill was moved in the Upper House yesterday afternoon, Sir Francis Bell made some comment upon clause C 9 (n), which provided that trustees might invert in the loan. Tho loan, he observed, was secured by a rate, and possibly came within tho allowable investments under tho Trustee Act. II) wao inadvisable, however, that such n ■ clause, which might bo an amendment ■ of tho Trustee Act, should bo found in ! a local Bill. If the Hon. J. Burr (who 1 wns in charge of tho Bill)fdid not withdraw the cluupc, the Government would have.to consider whether it should op- ' pose cr agree to the clnuse. He thought it necessary that soma officer should bo appointed to scrutinise local Bills in order to see that they did not contain mutters affecting tho provisions of general* Acts. Mr. Barr thanked the Leader of the. Council for his explanation of the Gov-' ernment's attitude. • Tho Bill was read a second time. • The Legislative Council yesterday passed, without alteration, tho Military Service Amendment Bill and the Valuation ofL"aud Amendment, Bill.