TREATMENT OF SOLDIERS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 May 1917, Page 2

TREATMENT OF SOLDIERS

Reply to Mayor of Dunedin “Give Specific Instances” Dunedin, May 21 Sir James Allen has forwarded a letter to th 6 Mayor in regard to the complaints voiced at the la9t meeting of the Patriotic Association of the treatment of soldiers. The Minister emphatically denies that the Government looks for every possible loophole to avoid doing what it advertised it was willing to do. With regard to what wae said of the inadequacy of the mufti allowance, Sir Jame 9 said that the soldier on his discharge, in addition to the 30/ mufti allowance, is entitled to have items of clothing, In regard to the statement that men who bad broken down in training camp were turned out and told to find their own way, he asks to be given a specific instance. The difficulty the Government had had to face was to prevent the State being loaded with charges which were not justified, cn account of men going iuto oarap and not disclosing weaknesses. The soldier who broke down in camp was placed on the same footing as far as war pensions were concerned as the soldier at the front. The Mayor bad stated that many men had returned to fiud their positions filled and they were unable to earn a livelihood. He would be glad to receive instances. The Mayor had also stated that the delay in giving the men the pay due to them was a scandal. In this matter Sir James also asked to be supplied with specific instances. The Mayorwill reply giving “ specific instances” brought under his notice.