The Guardian And Evening Suit, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6th, 1924. LEST WE FORGET.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 August 1924, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Suit, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6th, 1924. LEST WE FORGET.

AJ.Tlloecii tlie shadow of August 4th. was looming ahead so closely, in tho House on Friday Just the newly appointed Minister of Ivands raised the point hoav long tho special privileges regarding land settlement were to apply to the ex-soldiers. He thought that six years after Armistice time was quite long enough for the privi-

leges to last! It seems from this that there are those in high places in the Government who can forget quickly. We wonder what would have lieen thought of a Government, a responsible Cabinet Minister of which uttered such a policy say on the eve of last general election! And it was rather remarkable that tho newspapers which reported the Minister of Lands’ statement, gave also an account of a deputation from tho South African

Veterans' Association which asked tha I’iime .Minister for the same privileges as t!u> soldiers of tbe Great War in regard to land settlement facilities and .Mr .Massey to bis credit gave a friendly reply. A <|iinrtcr of a century lias passed since tbe liner war, and it was not thought unreasonable that national considerations should be extended to the men of that period who fought, tor ami helped to save tbe Umpire. Mr Mnl.cod lias bis own views ] robably, but il privileges extended to the men who served their country in tne hour of trial and danger, are to be whittled away, wy doubt if it will be with tbe approval of the people as "a whole who ate not unmindiul of vvliat it meant to sene in the arduous campaign of the Great War. Year by year there are, many anniversaries.

New Zealand we have notably Anstae Day, and tlie pomp and circumstance marking that occasion is, we feel sure, not an empty show, hut a constant- reminder of. what service in the Great War meant, and of the national respect ami consideration for all those who served. Admittedly the war cost tbe country a great slim; also that millions were spent in the purchase of land for soldiers—but tbe men who served earned to the full any part of i.ie cost they received, while of tbe millions s|ent on land, the money went to the fmtunato land owners, and the sequel Ims shown there was nothing patriotic about the price the. put on the land. The high cost of the land need not be considered a charge against l-lic service of the soldiers, but rather against tbe mismanagement m tin' Government, in the way they went about tlie purchase of the land. Air McLeod’s chief concern, il would appear, is for the growing up lads of farmers who were not able to go to war. These lads are not necessarily denied land. Surely there is enough land to go round, or why docs Air .McLeod's department eari.v on a costly immigration scheme enticing | cople to settle oil the land, if lie belietcvi in his heart, the ex-soldiers have all the land I We hope this excursion by Air AfcLeod is not a feeler towards whittling away other privileges of the men who served, if there is one direction ill which assistance should be maintained for the ex-soldiers it is in endeavoring to provide land at a reasonable price, for it was t.lioir efforts which helped to save the territory for the nation. If the men bad not .sprung to arms defeat was inevitable. And. again, tbe country must honor its pledges, both written and spoken, namely that the men would bo cared for alter the war. To do any less is to tear tip a scrap of paper as it were - the very principle upon which Britain entered the war to save. The new Alblister of Lands has made st rather bad beginning if lie pro|>oscM to continue the polity he hits suggested, and it may lie expected the Bct-tiPneil Soldier organisations will not he slow In enter a- protest. But the protest should not lie left to tho men oiilv.