The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 1927. THOSE CANTEEN FUNDS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 62, 4 June 1927, Page 10

The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 1927. THOSE CANTEEN FUNDS

THOUGH many returned soldiers may have real grievances, and may even now be suffering an injustice by the lockingup of the canteen funds, those who are aggrieved will do their cause no good by the formation of a second association. At what was reported to have been one of the noisiest meetings held in the Town Hall concert chamber, a number of returned men decided, on Thursday night, to launch what it was desired should be known as the New Zealand Ex-Servicemen’s League, and a resolution was carried demanding that the funds and securities of the War Funds Council should be handed over to “a responsible body of returned soldiers” and the proceeds distributed among returned men and their relatives. If one were to judge by the conduct of that meeting, it would be difficult to imagine the newly-formed league as “a responsible body of returned soldiers.” And there is reason to express doubt as to the wisdom of such a meeting being presided over by a civilian. Mr. A. ITall-Skelton occupied the chair, and though he said he did so as “an impartial outsider,” he lost no time in attacking in his own fashion the “medical minions” who had “indiscriminately cut off the pensions of disabled soldiers” and in assuring those present that it “made his blood boil” to see the way they sat down and saw such things done. Such intemperate language was likely to inflame the minds of the aggrieved men to a very much greater degree than had-hitherto been the case. Mr. Hall-Skelton meant well, as he always does; he is always with “the under dog,” but the idea of his being “impartial” when there is a real or imaginary injustice to be fought is unimaginable. Another outsider present was Mrs. Emily Nichol. The good intentions of that lady are also undoubted; if the wisdom of her methods is often open to question. She told the meeting on Thursday night that she had taken upon her shoulders the work the Returned Soldiers’ Association had omitted to do. That, of course, was not calculated to make those present any better pleased with the association. But the folly of dividing the returned men into two camps should be apparent to all. Whatever injustice these men are suffering will not be remedied unless they present a united front to those who are inflicting that injustice. The Returned Soldiers’ Association has done wonderful work in fighting the claims of returned men, but the association can only be as strong as its membership and as wise as its executive. How many of those present at this rowdy meeting were financial members of the R.S.A.? What part had they played in electing the executive of that association? These are questions that need to be answered before the new league is accorded recognition. The R.S.A. was once a strong and influential body, but the number of defecting members grew year by year, and year by year its strength has dwindled. On the face of it, there seems something radically wrong in the system which locks up a vast sum of money represented in the canteen funds while returned soldiers are suffering poverty and unemployment, but the way to compel those in charge of the funds to an accounting is not for the men to split into factions but to set to work and rebuild their original association to something of its former power. Then they will get things done.

an aspect of unemployment

THERE can be found no ready contradiction of the claim that there would not be thousands of able-bodied men out of work in New Zealand, faced with a dread winter- of want, if people would insist upon buying goods manufactured in this country. As is pointed out by the representatives ot local manufacturers, to-day New Zealand spends enough money on necessaries and luxuries imported from abroad, and which can well be made here, to provide regular and profitable employment for every available worker. New Zealand goods are as cheap, on the whole, as imported goods, and they are often very much better, and-, the senseless habit of buying foreign manufactures, by limiting the local output, prevents New Zealand manufactures from being even cheaper than they are. ' Let New Zealanders remember that by buying New Zea-land-made goods they provide employment, feed the wives and families of the workers, increase the consumption of local products (thus cheapening commodities) and keep money in their own country for its welfare.