N.Z. RETURNED SOLDIERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 50, 28 February 1923, Page 8

N.Z. RETURNED SOLDIERS.

EMPIRE CONFERENCE DELEGATE. PENSIONS AND CANTEEN FUND. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) MAMAKU, this day. Mr. Thos. Long, engineer at Messrs. Steele Bros.' Mamaku sawmill, one of the two Auckland district delegates on the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, returned from Wellington yesterday after noon.

Discussing with the ".Star" representative the main features of the business transacted liy the executive in Wellington, Mr. Long made some interesting observations. NEURASTHENIC PATIENTS. Regarding - the deputation relative to the War Pensions Board's policy respecting medical treatment and pensions for patients suffering from neurasthenic complaints, it transpired that a policy had been laid down by the Board. This, however, did not meet with the approval of the deputation, thmembers of which in due course will report to their respective districts for the purpose of endeavouring to take action with a view to having the Board's policy considerably modified.

THE CANTEEN FUND. The interest earned by the canteen fund is to be used for the continuation of vocational training, as up to 31 Bt December last had been carried out by the Repatriation Department. Kir Andrew Russell (the president), Mr. Long added, considered that the corpus of the fund should remain intact for at least five years, but he had no objection to the interest, which now amounted to £8500 per annum, being used for the purposes decided upon by the Dominion executive. The Canteen Funds Board, ef which Sir Andrew Russell is chairman, considered it was not called upon to administer this fund, and would be prepared to consider applications for grants from the body of the fund from patriotic organisations which were looking after the welfare of disabled men, when in its opinion the time had arrived, owing to these organisations' funds having become exhausted. Personally Sir Andrew Russell was inclined to the opinion that the whole of the canteen funds should, in the course of time, be handed over to the National War Funds Council. The council itself, through its chairman (the Hon. W. Downie Stewart), had stated that it was expected this fund would lie handed iver to that body to administer. This course, however, did not meet with the approval of returned men in New Zealand, for at the last Dominion ence in June a resolution was carried to the effect that the canteen fund be not handed over to the War Funds Council, a body created by special legislation, and practically a Government Department, though having civilian representation.

EMPIRE SERVICE LEAGUE. The British Empire Service League had, through its grand president, Earl Haig, issued a cordial invitation to the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association to be represented at the Empire Service Conference to be held in London in July. All parts of the Empire are expected to send delegates to this gathering. Mutters of importance to late service men who are emigrating to the overseas Dominions will be discussed, with a view to simplifying th* somewhat cumbersome machinery now in operation regarding medical treatment, pensions, etc., for ex-Imparial men. Tho Dominion executive had requested the president (Sir Andrew Russell) to represent the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, and be will leave in April.