DEFENCE DEPARTMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 November 1918, Page 8

DEFENCE DEPARTMENT.

-WILFUL AND WANTON WASTE

ALLEGED.

LAND FOR SOLDIERS. '

(Our Special Correspondent.)

Wellington, Nov. 20. "How long is the staff of highly-paid oflier.'.-; likely to be kept going?" asked Mr. <>. Witty (Ricearton) in the House of Representatives when Defence matters were under discussion. "We have had a white-washing report, whitewashing tho Minister of Defence and some of his officers, but I am afraid we will not have an opportunity to discuss that report. We ar« entitled to more information than we have got about the Defer.ee Department." Mr. Witty added that it was stated some pnrt3 of the report had been cut out before tho report reached iJhe House If that had been done, it was not a fan- tiling. He wanted to know what tho Department had paid for materials and what had been done with the money collected from tho soldiers for loss of kit and so forth. Was t'he Department going to proceed with the erection of "Allen's Folly," the huge temporary building now under construction across Whitmoro Street in Wellington. Wilful and wanton waste had been going on all over the country. Millions had been squandered hy the Defence Department, and when members protested they were told fciiey were disloyal. Mr. Witty stated that nothing had been done for tho returned soldiers, and that there was no excuse for cutting short the sessiou.

The Prime Minister said tho statement tliat nothing had been done for the returned soldiers was utterly incorrect. A very great deal had been done for the men, and the Government was prepared to do a great deal morii If the member did not know that, lie ought to know it. Very large quantities of land had been purchased for the soldiers at a cost of over £1,000,000. Tire Government had endeavored to provide for all classes of soldiers in the selection of land. Partially incapacitated men did not want to go into the backblocks, and other men did not wish to take up improved land. The Government had placed over 1000 soldier settlers on the land already. There was no country in the Empire that 'had dono as much for the returned soldiers as New Zealand had done. Mr. Massey mentioned what the Government had done in the training of returned soldiers for new occupation?. The repatriation scheme, w'hich would be presented to the House shortly, would show what the Government proposed to do for small business men. Quite 25,000 soldiers had returned already, and half of them had stated that they did not want Government assistance in rc-enterir.g civilian life. T'he others had been assisted. He .hoped the House would hear no more of the inaccurate statement made that the Government had dono nothing for the returned soldiers.

Tho Minister for TJefenca, in the course of a brief reply, stated that the Now Zealand officer was probably the lowest-paid officer in tho world. It was likely that tho rates of pay to officers would have to be increased, Most of the men now engaged in the service of the country had made sacrifices in leaving their civilian occupations. He was sorry that anybody should call the Defence report, a white-washing ireport. The department had no dirty linen to be washed.

Mr. R. McCallum (Walrau): Will you say that there was no portion of the report excised?

: Sir Jamec Allen:' "There is a question on tho order paper about that," The new building in Wellington was being erected for economy and efficiency. The saving in rent would recoup the whole cost in five or 4\v year.). The, branches that were to occupy it would have to run for three years yet, and afterwards (he building would be of great use to the Government for other purposes. Referring to Hie camps, the Minister said he hoped Trentham would be in use as a territorial camp for many years to come. lie hoped Fcatherstou camp would be used in conjunction witli the. farm of 400 a r :res attached to it as a training centre for soldiers wiahing to go on the land.