The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) WEDNESDAY, MAY 23rd, 1923.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 May 1923, Page 2

The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) WEDNESDAY, MAY 23rd, 1923.

PROMISE AND PERFORMANCE. There is an uneasy feeling growing up among the' returned soldiers of the Dominion—as also of the Commonwealth—that tlio Governemnts are not carrying on as they promised in regard to the treatment of the men. While the war was on, and men and more men were a necessity for the safety of the Empire, tliero were many lavish promises. For a time the country was true to its word—overdid it in some respects, in fact—but lately there has been a slipping back, and in many instances now the men are not getting a fair deal. It seems that it is more essential now than ever it was for the returned men to be associated and maintain the benefits to bo derived from nn active organisation. In Australia there are many appeals to the Government to perform past promises. The position was lately stressed before the Prime Minister of tho Commonwealth—himself a returned soldier—nnd Mr P>ruce assured tho gathering that absolute justice would be done. He expressed alarm at some of tho statements made to him but indicated nothing would be wanting on his part to retrieve tho position. In New Zealand there are returned men in the Cabinet, and no one has. professed more than Mr Massey, what should be done for the soldier. Yet his Government is stopping loan advances to soldiers, and almost in the same breath the Prime Minister says he is providing more money for farmers! Tho soldiers should come first, if New Zealand is to keep faith with her promises, and if the money is to spare there is no reason why the soldiers should be mulcted while fanners are free to dip into the public treasury. While this is the general position with regard to the lending department cf the country, individual treatment of the men also calls for notice. We have tire case in mind of a local ox-soldier who is being turned off liis farm for which he paid a large sum without borrowing a penny from the Government, in order to make room for the

Forestry Department to carry on experiments. Westlnnd is suffering (as we have emphasised over and over again) a great deal from the “experimental” work of the Forestry Department, but here is a case where a producing farmer has to make way for a Government Department. So, too, with a party of soldier sawmillors who took up an area and equipped it and carried on the good work of production, and more prodmilion, for which Mr Massey appealed, the Forestry Department comes along and doubles the royalty on the sawmillers! The money goes into the vortex to keep the expensive Forestry Department going at top with all its splendid style of management—and the ex-soldiers pay. These two local eases seem to be cruel wrongs, penalising the men who were making good and serving their country no less nobly in peace, than they did oravcly in war time. Instances such as these show a lack of consideration and feeling quite out of sympathy with public opinion ns it shaped itself when there was a cull for more men. Then tl.b men were told that if they did their bit, the country would not lie wanting in its duty to see they had a. square deal. At every meeting of the Returned Soldiers’ organisation there are appeals to thp. Government to perform promises which remain unfulfilled. It is a reflection on the good name of New Zealand to find this state of affairs existing after nearly five years of peace. New Zealand is in honor bound to keep faith, and public opinion should assert itself in that direction if it wishes to see the good name of the Dominion unsullied for all tune.