WAR GRATUITIES

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1919, Page 5

WAR GRATUITIES

RETURNED SOLDIERS' MARCH TO PARLIAMENT. STATEMENTS .BY THE POLITICAL LEADERS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. A deputation of upwards of a thousand soldiers marched from the club house at 5.30 to bring before the political leaders their request that the war gratuity should be on the basis of £l5O Jor each soldier with two years' service flie public thronged the route and followed. the procession to Parliament buildings, where the men Were met by Mr. Massey, Sir Joseph Ward, Mr. Hoiand, and members of both Houses. The Jeadcrs were greeted with cheers, hoots, and general uproar. Mr Massey appealed for quiet, and his eitort* were supplemented by the spokesmen of the deputation, but all was of no avail.

Mr. Massey exclaimed: "This is simply impossible. I refuse to listen," and suggested that the spokesmen should be received in the Cabinet room. This was agreed to, but the crowd remained »a a boisterous mood, hooting and yelling, interspersed with tunes by the pipe hand which led the procession. The speakers were introduced by Mr Aldritch, secretary of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association, who drew attention to a resolution passed by the Wellington branch at the Town Hall meeting, when it Avas resolved that the soldiers demand £l5O by way of gratuity for each soldier on'two years' service out of New Zealand, such term to be more or less according as the length of service is more or less, than two years, every soldier to be put on an equal footing as to rank.

Captain Sievwright, who was the first speaker, repeated the arguments adduced by him at the Town Hall meeting last night, the main point being that the returned soldiers, being eight per cent, of the population, should receive eight per cent, of the £150,000,000 added to the Dominions' values as the result of winning the war.

Mr. J. MeKenzie, who was appointed by last night's meeting, said he deprecated the use of the word gratuity, as what they were asking for was a reward for services, not charity. The only men who had made any sacrifice during the war were the soldiers, for while they were away fighting, the others who re.mninod at home were working for hutre profits, retailers making larger profits than ever before. Thp meat growers Worp not satisfied with 45 per cent., but demanded and got 55 per cent. Three million was paid to the Union Company for the charter of ships, so they made no sacrifices, but the soldier could not participate in these profits. He had no option as to whether he would go to the front or not: if he did not volunteer he was conscripted: therefore, he concluded, what was fair for the soldier was fair for the civilian. What they were now asking was something to make-up for lo»t opportunities. '•FAIR AND JUST" TREATMENT. Mr. Massey, in reply, said if there was any idea on the pari of the soldiers thai tho ftoverniu/nt did not intend to do everything for the soldiers that was fair and just he hoped they would get rid of that idea as soon as possible. The reason the question of gratuities had not been settled before this was the absence of the leaders at the other side of the world, where they weTc doing their duty in another way. Their colleagues here hold the matter up till their return. The same tiling happened in Australia, owing to the absence of Mr. Hughes and Sir .T. Cook. The attitude of the Government was favorable to the returned soldiers, proof of which was that when two vacancies occurred in the Ministry recently he appointed two returned soldiers to Ministerial positions, and the soldiers could rely that they were* looking after their interests. Fault had been found with the land settlement of the Governme.nt, but a great work Was really being done, for in addition to those settled on the land, two thousand men were learning trades. He considered the soldiers represented it might not he advisable to permit soldiers to sell their land for aomo time. He knew in many cases that if they were allowed to sell to-day they could make a large profit on the purchase price. As to the delay, he had been looking into the gratuities scheme, and not till then did he__realise the complexity of the task ftian whom no man woricort narner w/ tiie soldiers. Proposals would probably "omc before Cabinet in a week, or perhaps ten days, when the representations made by the deputation would receive careful consideration. He thought he conld promise that the Government proposals would give general satisfaction to the community at large and to the returned soldiers in particular. THE DANGER OP LAND INFLATION. Sir Joseph Ward said he could not settle the gratuities question except so far as an individual member of Parliament could help. He must wait and seo what proposals the Government brought down, but he was prepared, along with many others, to assist the soldiers. He considered the present inflation of land values was a great danger to the country, and, on the subject of speculation, ho said that if a soldier returned and wanted his farm back he would not hesitate to take it from the purchaser and give it back to the soldier at the price the .purchaser paid for it. That was the only way to stop speculation. If these monstrous inflations of values went on and a soldier found when he came back that he was unable to get land, that was the best way to sow tho seeds of revolution. He was anxious to assist the Government, and he did not wish to make its task difficult. Speaking for himself, he was prepared to do a fair, right, and just tiling. LABOR PARTY'S ATTITUDE. Mr. Holland said tho Labor Party would stand for the fulfilment of every obligation to the returned soldiers. Whatever their views on the war were, they stood by them. They insisted upon an adequate wage for soldiers, and, while one man was required to give his life, the other should be compelled to give lip his money. He was not prepared to say on the spur of the moment what amount of money should be paid, as he had only been asked to attend the deputation at the last moment; but a reply would certainly be given within a weflk, and the party would stand for a flat rate. Tho Labor Party would place no obstacles in the way of the Government its obligations to the returned 'oldiers, though he realised that no money payment could adequately «<)«»•

pense the men who went into the trenches. Mr. Aldritoh thanked the leaders for their cordial reception, and the crowd quickly • dispersed. DISORDERLY PROCEEDINGS. WINDOWS SMASHED. By Wire.—Own Correspondent. Wellington, Last Night. When the House adjourned at 5.30, after spending some time on local Bills, Ministers and members received the big ■returned soldiers' deputation. The proceedings were very disorderly. More than a, thousand men attended, and they smashed the windows at the main entrance to tlie buildings. Their spokesmen and the Ministers failed to get a hearing, outside, and adjourned to the Cabinet room with many members of both Houses.

The noisy crowd outside, with the assistance of pipers, interfered with the hearing oven in the Cabinet room. The uproar became so great that Mr. Massey wont outside to tell the deputation that he was receiving their spokesmen. He produced a momentary pause and returned.

Later, Mr. iSemple took the opportunity to say something in the interests of the Labor Party. A considerable force of police prevented the crowd entering the Parliamentary buildings, as appeared to be the intention of the more aggressive returned men. When the deputation emerged, after receiving the replies of the party leaders, the crowd was still waiting, and the spokesmen had some difficulty in sending it away. The statement that Mr.'Massev was going to announce his gratuities scheme later was greeted with great uproar and demands for a definite replv at once. Further appeal by the spokesmen induced the men to move off on the promise of another meeting in the Town Jail on Friday.