RETURNED SOLDIERS' CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 May 1917, Page 2

RETURNED SOLDIERS' CONFERENCE.

GRIEVANCES VENTILATED.' By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dunedin, May 20. • The Returned Soldiers' Association Conference passed a resolution that a Minister for Returned Soldiers be ap-. pointed forthwith ;o deal with matters generally concerning men back from the front. It was pointed out that obably 100,000 would return at the close of the war and require settling on the land or in some civil capacity and a special department should be created so i that the., should not be left to drift and become a burden on their parents and relations. The State should begin now :o devise a scheme an fl not wait until tho men /ere here. It was stated Jiat if something was nbt done to attract the men back they would probably drift to Canada and Australia where inducements were being offered for settlement. There was a discussion on the employment of aliens and a resolution was passed requesting the Government to conscript all aliens' labor for State purposes and pay wages on tlje basis of the pay of privates in the expeditionary force. . The conference passed a resolution placing on record its dissatisfaction with the press methods of advertising returned soldiers through he medium of striking headings in police court news, and that references to members of expeditionary forces as "supermen" should bo moderated. STATEMENT BY DEFENCE MINISTER.' CONCERNING LAND FOR SOLDIERS. Dunedin, May 26. Sir James Allen,, at the invitation of the Returned Soldiers Association, attended the conference and made a comprehensive statement of the Government's policy respecting the settlement of soldiers on the .land, The Minister explained that Sir :0. Bell, as ActingMinister o Lands, had supplied him with ft' statement. It included the following inft.mation: Area tf private land already purchased fpr discharged soldiers' settlement, 8082 2res; area of Crown land already set aside by proclamatior for discharged soldiers, 281,'3 aeres. Other blocks of private land hre under; negotiation and other areas of cfown land are being considered for proclamation, but the supply so far is in excess of the demand v So far 357 returned soldiers have "jeett settled on the land and 236 have asked for and obtained Government advances. There have been practically no. complaints. The experience has been jthat a large class of men iot : seriously injured don't seek improved land of highi value; a considerable proportion prefer pastoral to dairy land and ask for Iftßd which they themselve - can improve and so increase their own capital holding. For seriously wounded, pensioners the plans include provision of fruit farms and poultry farms near railways and towns.