READY ASSISTANCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 185, 20 May 1941, Page 6

READY ASSISTANCE.

FOR THE NEW; RETURNED MEN.

WORK OF THE ASSOCIATION. Already the value of having an organisation like the Returned Soldiers’ Association is being recognised by soldiers who have been invalided back to New Zealand, and there have been several cases in Ashburton where timely assistance has been forthcoming. One soldier who has been returned to Ashburton and is not able to carry on his former work (with which went a cottage), finds himself without _ a home, and ho has to live with his wife and son in his mother-in-law’s cottage, which is totally inadequate for the size of the family. The soldier appealed to the R.S.A. for assistance in obtaining a house and the Association telegraphed to thei State Advances Department setting out the circumstances. A reply has been received to the effect that as soon as tenancies are available the soldier’s case will be considered. In several other cases the Association has been of assistance to invalided men and to relatives of men overseas, while men in the forces in NeW Zealand have also been able to take advantage of the facilities available. Two men who had been discharged from Burnham Military Camp oeeause they had not been able to stand up to the training arrived in Ashburton yesterday on their way back to their homes at Dunedin. They appealed lo tne R.S.A. for assistance and When their cases were investigated orders were issued to the men for meals and ior lodging for the night. The men hoped to be ablo to pick up a lorry cn the main road to-day to carry them a bit further on their way.

At this stago in the last War there was no such organisation that could adequately handle the needs of cases of this kind and as this war progresses it is felt that the Association will be able to lend a helping hand to an even greater degree.