CONSUMPTIVE SOLDIERS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 67, 19 March 1919, Page 5

CONSUMPTIVE SOLDIERS.

Both divisions of the Claims Board ■ met yesterday and this morning. A ; considerable volume of routine business j was transacted. About 70 applications ' from returned soldiers were lodged in ! person, and ir« the majority of cases sub- | stantial assistance was granted to en- | able the applicants to meet difficulties j which had arisen. j Two phases, said Mr. J. H. Gunson, this j morning, had been emphasised at the recent sittings, one of which was the condition of several applicants suffering from tuberculosis trouble. In several instances these men were abroad amongst the community, and were an undoubted menace to public health. They ' were applying from time to time for J assistance from the Patriotic Association,! which did what it could under the cir- i cumstances. It was necessary to again : protest against men suffering from . tuberculosis being discharged and allowed to drift about among the community. The condition of health of these men was such that they could do very little for themselves, and they should be cared for by the Government, seeing that their condition aroee out of their service to j the country. i Alluding to the pensions, the Mayof ■ I said that complaints were still received lof undue delays in this matter. It was .quite clear to the Auckland Claims , Board that the applications to the Pen- j siong Board must be very heavy, and reasonable allowance was made for delay ' on this score, but there had been sev- j eral cases before the Board this week in '■ which it was apparent that the delays were for an undue length of time. The Patriotic Association was again com- , municating with the Pensions Department with a view to having the decision in these cases expedited.