WAR VETERANS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 8, 22 October 1935, Page 6

WAR VETERANS

EFFECT OF ALLOWANCES BILL.

REPLY TO DEMOCRAT LEADER-.

(Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, This Day. The Hon. W. Perry (president of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association) to-day said that a statement reported to have been made .by the Democrat leader (Mi 1 T. C. A. Hislop) at Invercargill last night, as to the effect of the War Veterans Allowances Bill would tend to cause misconception as to the provisions of the Bill. Mr Hislop said that every returned man who broke down in health had to prove his incapacity was definitely due to war service.

That, Mr Perry said, was the position before the Bill was introduced and was the very position the Bill was designed, and does cure. Under the Bill, if a returned soldier who had served in a unit in actual engagement with the enemy was now suffering from physical or mental incapacity and was unfit for permanent employment, he and his wife and children were entitled to an allowance under the Bill, which would meet the very cases Mr Hislop said it would not meet. Mr Perry added that with regard to Mr Hi slop’s statement that there had been long delay on the part of the Government in introducing tips Bill, he wanted all returned soldiers to know that the first request to the Government by the Returned Soldiers’ Association to bring down such a Bill w r as made as late as July 9, 1934,