INCONSISTENCY.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 6, 23 April 1920, Page 8

INCONSISTENCY.

There recently appeared in the daily piess, information to the effect that representatives oi the Returned* Soldiers' Associatkm had visited Sir James Allen in order to bid him -good-bye and wish him success in his new sphere of activity as H:gh Comrnissioner. To this no objection car be raised whatever may be our political differences, but when we have such a display of inconsistent statements as the vice-president infiicted upon the Minister for Defence, it is time to draw atterition to it and protest against the claim of representing the R.S.A. throughout the Dominion. The R.S.A. has no political platform, although it can only achieve redress, through political channels, and if any official of the R.S.A. oversteps the mark so as to cause the press to state that returned soldiers are satisfied with Sir James Allen and that the deputation's utterances wero the expression of the returned soldiers themselves, then it is time some wings were clipped. Precedence has possiLly established that at a time like this it is fitting to say nice things irrespective of what truth they contain. The vice-presid-ent stated that Sir James Allen had always been "just." If this is so, the work of the R.S.A. would have been reduced to practieally nil ; but it needs no demonstiating that the Minister for Defence only yielded and granted the legitimate rights asked for by the R.S.A. under extreme pressure, and the major portion in close proximity to a general election. If justice has been metcd out, then why has the Dominion Executive and the official organ contimially complained as indicated in "Quick March," on 10th June, 1S19 : "It is unquestionable that the Government of the day has been the principal promoter of 'grouse' by the senseless failur- to consult the R.S.A. fairly and reasonably on matters in which returned men ani dependants are vitally concerned. The authorities,' too, have shown a dispositien to move very slowly along the pafh of jusfice,^ Sir James Allen was certainly in the position to see tliat the authorities did p>ove- along the pathof justice. A further lamentatioir by the sarne jourjpt states>— ' #Take for example, the representatioaa

of the R.S.A. on the Pensions Board. It should have been self-evident that such representation should have been granted, in accordance with the elementary principles of justice, as soon as a suitable returned soldier was available ; yet many months elapsed before tlie request of^the 191 n Conference of the N.Z.R.S.A. (supported by a deputation to the Minister of Defence) was granted. Take the retrospection scheme ; take the Repatriation Act ; is is the same story in each case. T.:e R.S.A. was ignored when the 'gratuity scheme' and the Repatriation Bill were rushed through Parliament in the hurry-scurry session of last year. In the administration of the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act there .has been the same umntelligible delay in giving proper heed to the just claims of.the R.S.A. for representation on Land Boards. A proper recognition of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association-— sane consultation with the executive — in the administration Laws and regulations affecting returned soldiers will rpduce naturally the complaining and the criticism which the old ignoring has necessarily caused. " Dealing w'ith pay and allowances the Dominion Executive expressed itself in no uneertain terms: "The retrospective ap-pl-cation of the Act has been declined by the Minister of Defence who regards the fact tinat any man should enlist without the compulsion of the Conscription Act as conclusive proof that he was able to lcave his dependants in comfort. It is this Ministeriai view which makes it impossible to treat the aphorism that 'a man was a fool to volunteer too soon," as a jest sit.f longer. " — » Now doeg the vice-president reconcile this with the statement that the Minister had dealt justly. It is self-evident that either one is wrong aivd the vice-president should exercise more discretion in matters which involve the opinions of the R.S.A. generally.