TAIHAPE RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION.

Taihape Daily Times, 14 October 1919, Page 5

TAIHAPE RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION.

VISIT OF LIUET.-COLONEL . MITCHELL.

‘An extiaordinary «general meeting of i the above Association was held last} night, to hear Lieut.-Colonel Mitchellfl Wellington Distript ‘Organiser, deliver] an address on matters relating to the} interests of returned soldiers. There‘ was an attendance of about 60 pre-I sent, Mr Stevens occupying the chain: Lieut.-Colonel Mitchell, who was re-} ceived with applause, said it gave him! great pleasure to meet the “boys”l again. He Said the general aim of his‘ association in forming associations‘ throughout the country was to have one large association with branches! throughout the districts, pointing out! the advantages from a financial View-} point of this policy. He dealt trench-'t antly with the action of the Government in the matter of retrospective allowances. for wives and widows of the men of the earlier reinforcements, stating they had little to thank the Government for in this connection; what had been done was drawn out of it by the Second Division. It was only last Week they had been able to force from the Government this retrospective allowance. He held there should be no distinction made between the different reinforcements. What allowance was made forthe last should be made for the first. He dealt exhaustively with the pension scheme, showing how unequally it operated, pausing to state that he was opposed to the supplementary allowance on principle, and illustrating how inequitably it worked out in the case of the young men of 20 and thereabouts, basing the amount of the allowance on the mell’s lowest earning‘ capacity, asserting that the’ same pension should apply to all. He asked if £2 was a living wage to-day‘! Three pounds per week was based on the -lowest‘ earning capacity of any man to-day. ..He. also stressed the. ‘injustice of payingpartially disabledmen with wives and families the same amount as single men with the same physical disability.’ From a nation-al_‘point of view the greatest: need was children,

but could aman minus, a limb,'.r.eas‘on~! ably afford to have children? With‘ regard to the gratuity, personally he washsatisfied withvthe amount;.:if the‘ country could afford more, it. should be given to disabled men, widowed! mothers, and those dependant on thcj dead_ With regard to the Govern-§ ment’s efforts for the settlement of! soldiers on the land, he said they were! totally inadequate. What was being! i done now should have been done in% 1914-——it' is a sad case of too -late.: Hewarned thoseidesirous of taking‘ up land not to go in for the azbsurdly high priced land being offered, and gave illustrations of how such action would work disastrously when the present ‘inflated prices of produce fell to a normal level. He saidthe land! Values were fixed on War produce! prices—an altogether fictitious value—, at which a soldier cannot make farm-1 ing pay. It was not fair to‘ put return- 1 ed" soldiers on land at the values theyt have created. What would the iahdi be Worth, he asked. without the sol-3 ’ diers’ efforts? He advocated the taking of large estates at reasonable prices and opening up areas of Crown and native lands, but the Government ‘ should move quickly. There was at present a march of returned soldiers all over the country in search of land. Some men had been in ebery ballot unsuccessfully, and were thus spending all their money. He was not in favour of soldiers acquiring farms held by private owners; this Was only replacement, not an addition to land settlement. After dealing interestingly and illuminatingly with soldiers’ clubs, the soldier in politics, the heroic and selfsacrificing work of the noble army of nurses, to whom he paid the highest . eulogium, emphasising the appreciation , and gratitude felt for the senders of parcels and comforts during the very , strenuous times they had 311 1335583 through, Lieut.-Colonel Mitchell concluded as follOWs:———“Therc is something far more. worthy than all the Government can possibly give us, and that is the love and respect of the mass of the people. I hope, speaking as a soldier and one of yourselves, that returned soldiers will never do anything to alienate that love and respect.” Mr Mitchell resumed his seatvamidst 1011(1 and Drolonged applause, given in ‘ a true “Digger" fashion.’ A A hearty Vote of thanks to Lieut.— Colonel. Mitchell for his able address ’ _ was carried by aeclamation, and ° the meeting terminated with a vote 0 of thanks to the chair.‘