VOLUNTEER AND CONSCRIPT

Taihape Daily Times, 21 March 1919, Page 4

VOLUNTEER AND CONSCRIPT

o GOVERNMENT VIGOROUSLY IMPEACHED WELLINGTON, this day D. Seymour, general secretary of the N.Z. Returned Soldiers' Association, has published a. statement in reference to the application of tli* amended scale of allowances to soldiers' wives and children. There is. he says, a general impresion that the demands of the Association have boor, met by the Government,, but nothing of the kind has been done, and rh Association intended to press for retrospective payments in full of allowances to children of those who volunteered in the early part of the war. The early volunteers went cheerfully, did not begrudge unavoidable hardships, but where it was possible to do something towards equal treatment the Government contested every inch and yielded only to pressure. For a year they had contended, in effect, that the country could not afford to treat a volunteer as generously as a conscript. Next, while allocating some £2,000,000 for gratuities, only some £450,000 Gf this could be spared in "lieu of retrospection," to satisfy the claims of justice. This sum had been increased to £500,000, not to fulfil moral obligations, but, presumably, to provide a better line of defence against full satisfaction. A principle was involved, the last position had been reached, and the Association looked to the public and the press to support it in its demands en b. .. of the children of volunteers.

BACK TO NEW ZEALAND.

ATHENIC'S ARRIVAL IN WELLINGTON.

A WARM WELCOME

WELLINGTON, Match 20

The hour at which' b the"' Athenie berthed this morning (7.45) was too \early to suit many'people. Neverthe-! less ia very large crowd of friends and relatives assembled to welcome the i returning men, their wives and children. The Civil Service ladies" choir occupied the balcony of ,<6 shed opposite the . Athenie's berth, and from that point of vantage sank choruses and cheered the men and the war brides. Thnee bands attended and enlivened ' the proceedings on the wharf and on the lino of route. As the men and their wives passed out of the wharf gates they ran the gauntlet of loads of Post and Telegraph girls,, who*.showered confetti and good wishes on the war brides, men and relatives alike. A civic reception was accorded at the Town Hall. Speeches of wel-

come were made by Mayor Luke, Mrs-

Luko and Sir James Allen,

The Athenie sailed' at 12.5 p.m. for Auckland with a quota of the draft

on board

The Napier and Gisborne men left bv the 9.10 express this morning, and those for stations on the Main Trunk and New Plymouth lines by the Main Trunk at mid-dfly. Thf New Plymouth men will to-night at Wanganui, going on by train morrow morning. The Wairarapa men left by the 2.55 p.m. train.

Otago, Canterbury and. Greymouth men left for the south by the Mararoa, and the Blenheim. Picton. Nelson and Westport men will leave by the Patecna to-morrow..

RETURNING FROM EGYPT.

THE LATEST INFORMATION"

WELLINGTO, March 20

The position with regard to the return of troops from the Egyptian theatre, said the Minister for Defence, Sir James Allen, is that on March 7th the Kaikoura left Egypt for New Zealand with 113 men of all ranks. There are s'tfll -S'omaHHrig approximately 2500 troops to be embarked, but the Defence Department has no information as what shipping is available, nor when the remaining troops are likelyto sail.

BURSARIES FOR SOLDIERS ADDITIONAL GRANTS. WELLINGTON, March 20. At a meeting of the National WarFunds Council to-day, the Minister of. Internal Affairs, who presided, said he felt justified in asking the Council to increase to 100 the number of bursaries immediately available for returned soldiers. The Council endorsed the proposal. Officers of the Council, with the assistance of Mr. Seymour, general secretary of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, were directed to make a preliminary examination of 120 applications already received. The chairman said they would be open to any patriotic society either to supplement bursaries offered through the Council or establish bursaries of their own. The Council discussed the position of the men who had not returned in time to apply for the bursaries now offered, 1 but who would arrive in the near future. It was resolved that further bursaries should be offered as soOn as the financial positi >n of the Council was