RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 May 1919, Page 6

RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION.

QUESTION OF POLITICAL ACTION. By Telegraph.—rress Association. Christchurch, Last Night. The question of political action was discussed at the New Zealand Returned Soldiery' Conference to-day. Before the discussion opened the president suggested that every delegate's vote should be recorded, and he moved that, for the purpose of this discussion on proposed political action of tlio association, the words "political action" shall mean activity which is connected with, the election of candidates for Parliament. This was carried.

Mr, llea<l (Auckland) moved: "That the article dealing with the scope of the association he altered by the deletion of the word 'non' that appeal's in front of the word 'political.' He said he felt that the future of the association defended on the remit being adopted. He had been opposed to political action, but Parliament had completely failed in its. responsibilities,'. Local associations had redressed thousands of grievances, but the executive had been a failure, except to secure an inadequate mufti allowance, at the price of selling the claims of the Ciit twenty thousand men who had returned. After dealing with the attempts of Jilie association to secure: assistance, I)e, said th« strongest claim was for the restrospective allowance to married soldiers. The association had : now been oil'cred, as a bribe (because the election was approaohing). what was asked, and it was offered ai' a gift, not as a right. Realising that every pledge made by Parliament had been broken, lie became a convert to political action, but not party action. If in one electorate there wore three or more candidates, the association should place A, pledge before them to sign, and if all signed the members of the Association could support whom they pleased. If one refused to sign the association should endeavor to secure his defeat. In seconding the motion, Mr. McGill (Wanganui) said the only power they coukl have wan political power. Mr. Oowles (W.mga.mii) moved an amendment that '''non-party" be substituted in the motion for "political." Mr, Andrews agreed to accept this. Mr. Watts (Waimnte) suggested that 110 amendment of the motion should be admitted.

The president said if the conference accepted or refused the principle of political action, as indicated in the motion, it was competent to decide whether action should be party political action, or non-party. The prime issue was clearcut political or non-political action. Havdeeided that, then amendments and further definitions could be admitted.

llr. Hastings (Temuka) said 110 one could deny the grievances of the soldiers, but the Government would really do what it could if it was not hampered by party action. The politicians had gone back on their promises. The measure should be delayed until they got the pulse-beat of the whole Dominion. Mr. Willis (Hawcra) said the association should not adopt political action as far as the election of members was concerned, but should try to cleanse politics. Mr. Long (Auckland) said lie could find no other means of reform nave by political action. The association had arrived at a dead end, and the expense of tlie conference would be waste if no action was taken. Mr. Malone (Napier) said if the action was taken as proposed they would alienate a large amount of public support. It would be the first step towards the end of the association. Mr. Reeves (Hastings) said they must ; be careful as to how they used the right, of political action. The association might be wed by unscrupulous men to further their own ends.

Mr. Cowles (Masterton) said the only political action they should indulge in was that referring directly to soldiers. Mr Dalliouse (Auckland) said he wanted the Association to wake up from the lethargy of non-political action. Mr Harfe (Wellington) said if by political action they would set unity in the Association he would soon support it, but to doubted if unity would be attained that way. Australia had taken political action, and had failed. Success would, lie in getting the general public behind them. Many people had assisted the Association because it was non-political, and members would be fab'e to their trust if they departed from the constitution.

Mr Walter (Christchurch) said the principal planks of the Association were non-politicalism and non-sectarianism. To depart from these would result in the lost of public support. Individual members should bring pressure to bear upon members of Parliament. He suggested that members should be selected by the Association to stand for Parliament in the interests of returned soldiers. Mr Pollock (Auckland) said that only by such action as was proposed could grievances be remedied. There would be no interference with the ordinary controversial politic!.'. Mr Best (Dannevirke) was opposed to taking any deliberate and particular political stand. Mr McManns (Dunedin) was opposed to political action. Mr Jacobs (Palmerston North) said j the acts on the Statute Book were most equitable, but the administration was bad. If a political body was formed it would probably result in a split in the Association.

Mr Reid (Blenheim) protested againstdiroet political action. Messrs' Brown and Pridham (Wangaini i) affirmed the proposal. The former said ho would like to see definite limitations of the proposed political action incorporated in the motion. Mr Watts (Waiknto) said the public, of Now Zealand looked to the returned-, soldiers to strike the right note in politic:', The Association could decide upon the form of political action after the motion had been carried. ■ Mr Uixford (Waikato) said if tiie proposal was to o.oii!ine action exclusively to returned soldiers' interests, he would' vote against it. He appealed to the conference to pass the motion in order that they could deal with the formation of a definite party and platform. . At the afternoon sitting Mr, Percy Brandon (Wellington) said lie understood that, under civil service regulations, no civil servant could belong to a political organisation. If the association formed itself, into a political body, every civil servant in it would be obliged to ■resign. He would strongly oppose the motion if such a disability were placed' upon civil servants. He did not think the time ripe for the association to form ; itself into a political association. Mr. Wa»!iev (Tauranga) said that there were a number of members of the association in the military forces, and, ! jawMtogte ® Qi WMM*

was allowed to take part in any political association. Mr. N. B. McCalliun (Christehurch) said that the men who had gone away were of all shades of political opinion, and it was doubtful whether on their return they could be expected to see eye to eye with one another on party polities; rather, they would stand by their old political beliefs. It was treading on dangerous ground to depart from a policy which had the unanimous approval of the public, and the association should apply itself to constructive schemes for the general good. Mr. Withy (Nelson) said the only bond that was liolditig the association's members together was the fact that they had all seen active, service, and that they were all out for the good of the men who had gone to the war and returned injured aiul their dependents. The danger of division if the motion was carried was very real. After the debate, which lasted until r.early 7 p.m., the Auckland remit in favor of political action was negatived by 57 votes' to 25. Mr. Andrews then thanked the opponents of political action for their sportsmanlike attitude towards the remit. His side was beaten, but not discouraged, but there would be no split. (Applause.) He intended to work fairly to reverse the .decision in the next conference.

TREND OF THE DISCUSSION. j THE POLICY OF POLITICAL ACTION. ' Christchurch, May 26. ' The third annual conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association opened in the Christchurch City Council Chambers yesterday, when the delegates were addressed by Dr. Thacker, the Mayor, who extended the city's welcome and hoped that the conference would bring the deliberations to a successful issue. Dr. Thacker briefly referred to the various questions which directly concerned returned soldiers. Dr. Ernest Boxer, the president, thank ed the Mayor for his address. In moving' the adoption of the annual report, Dr. Boxer censured the delay in introducing a repatriation scheme. It was not till the armistice forced the Government's hands that they rushed through a repatriation scheme. The Government was slow to realise the iill-iraportant question of repatriation, and, in fact, never gave it a thought till Germany suddenly collapsed. He reiterated the association's plea for the one Minister in charge of repatriation, and submitted that the present repatriation scheme was not competent to deal with the situation. The speaker wont on to applaud the work of the patriotic bodies, and condemned the Government for allowing these bodies to do the State's work. He also referred to the Government's action in taking over the balance of the funds o£ the patriot'.: societies.

This censure met with general approval, the opinion being that the State should not utilise the patriotic funds for the purpose of repatriating soldiers. »The delegates then went on to discuss tile report and the work of the association during the year. It was generally conceded that the new year was going to be the greatest yea'. - in the history of tlio association. Whatever the conference might do would cither make or break the association. The most important issue at stake was a remit respecting the alteration of tne constitution of the association by making it political. Undoubtedly the debate on this question will be somewhat strenuous, for the two sides are very strong. The Auckland delegates are undoubtedly the leading lights favoring political action, and have a strong platform, which, with the exception of three planks, is in 4 he"inain the constitution 01 the association. Their proposals, if carried, will bring the association into the political arena, and the association will then pick and choose its candidates for election. Other associations are supporting Auckland, and whilst some liveliness was anticipated when the conference sat, all ideas of aggressive action appear so iar to have been sunk, the Wellington association standing firm against the ' policy of political action, and on the surface it appears evident that when the vote is taken the Auckland proposition I will be negatived. Destructive criticism of the executive j work for the past year met with a strong counter-attack. This was led by a delegate from Blenheim, whose opinion that the individual associations were largely to blame and not the executive received the Support of the majority, A section expressed the exequtijs