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RETURNED SOLDIERS' GRIEVANCES
SENATOR PEATtCE CASTIGATED.
Returned soldiers met in considerable
number on tho Esplanade on Sunday after-
noon,-as the .outcome of a meeting - called
by the Perth branch of the _ U.S.A., lo
place before the pub'ic certain'grievances.
Mr., , J. - O'Neil, president of the Perth
branch, presided.
The first resolution submitted was to the
effect
That this meeting emphatically protests
against thc extension of the War Précautions
Act oivd tho stupid censorship. Wc hereby call
upon the Commonwealth Government to remove
the Aot at once from the statutes of thc
national Legislature, believing-that thc reten-
tion of such a vicious and autocratie piece of
power left in the hands of unscrupulous and
incompetent administrators will cause no end
of trouble.
Ir, was asserted that the extension of the
War Precautions Act had been brought
! about to enable the Government to further
exploit and maintain a "grip" on return-
ing soldiers and thc workers generally, and
the Government was charged with ÎRTving
betrayed the soldiers.
The next resolution was:
That this meeting demands a full and impar-
ted inquiry into the troopship Boonah trage-
dies, and that all those parsons responsible for
the shocking and inhuman treatment of the
soldiers aboard shall be called to account and
severely punished, irrespective of rank and posi-
tion.
Opportunity was taken by speakers .to tra-
verse instances of alleged mismanagement
and bad treatment oF soldiers on vessels
generally. Mr. Corboy. M.H.B., stated
that oondilAona which prevailed in some
vessel^ would cause a revolution among the
people of Austral IA if they only knew of
them.
Senator Pearce was denounced in the
following terms:
That thia meeting of returned soldiers strong,
ly condemns the action of tho Commonwealth
Government and tts underhand methods in select-
ing Senator Pearce for the post of Demobilisa-
tion Minister ia London. We emphatically pro
tort against Mi appointment on thc grounds
that ho is not a fit and proper person to
handle Australian soldiers, that ho is incom- j
petent and unsympathetic and utterly out of
touch with anything relating to the soldiers j
generally; that wc hold him moral Iv reepon- j
Fible for the Boonah horror, and cannot coun-
tenance his departure from Australia. Further,
we demand that he, with others, shall stand
his trial for the tragedy of the Boonah. We
«re determined to prevent him - leaving- Aus-
tralia, .and we demand hts immediate indict-
ment, with those responsible under bim, in the
Interest« ot^iustice to the soldier*.
Ail- the- resolutions were carried without
i diiesenst. . - *. ;
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