TUBERCULAR SOLDIERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 222, 18 September 1924, Page 8

TUBERCULAR SOLDIERS.

UNUSUAL CASES IN CANTERBURY. ECONOMIC PENSIONS INADEQUATE. (By Telegraph.—Pnr:inmentnry Reporter.) t l WELLINGTON, Wednesday. t- The Defence Committee reported to c the House to-day that it had considered c the petition of a number of soldier c settlers at Hornby, Canterbury, who s suffer from tuberculosis, and who con- >- sider that they are unable to make a d living on poultry farms with the aid of ' f their present pensions. They therefore "■ asked for further relief. The commit- '" tee stated that the matter, was one '* for the Repatriation Department, and c it referred the petition to the Government for consideration, r Mr. J. McCombs informed the House that the men concerned were almost \~ 100 per cent- disabled through tuber- ,' eulosis. It would be difficult for them to make a living, seeing that fit and ,_ well men had found it impossible to , live on poultry farming owing to the 'J high price of grain. L Mr. Geo. Witty expressed great regret g that the committee could not give the men even what was promised by law. g How could these men compete with ~ outside enterprise? They got up to % 35/ or 40/ pension, but if their income r from the poultry went up it was 3 deducted from their pensions. He moved to refer the report back to the i committee. • s The Hon. D. Buddo stated that the s men had been put on the poorest land within twenty -miles of Christchurch. t It was not a question of sympathy, but - of justice. a Mr. V. Potter, chairman of the committee, stated that the majority of the - committee xwere returned soldiers - themselves, with every sympathy with f their old mates. The petitioners were - in receipt of the • econohnic pension, • but wanted it made retrospective. - There should be investigation of the - men's accounts, because in one instance • a settler received £600 from eggs alone 6 in one year. Petitioners were asked • to pay something off the principal, but ' 'they could not see their way to do so, • though rent and interest arrears since » 1917 had been postponed.' The committee, in dealing with the case, had to consider its bearings on similar ■ cases in other parts of the Dominion. ' He would not object to the petition \,, being reconsidered. V".. i 1 j Mr. H. T. Armstrong strongly advo- \ c'ated the settlers' case, declaring that ; their difficulties were so great as to ' warrant some more practical aid than postponing arrears, as this would not . fill the cupboard. ! Mr. A. McKay (Hawke's .Bay) speak - ing for tubercular patients generally, (urged that they get the full pension. It was the State's duty to immediately attack the problem, and it would not only save .the men but the pockets of taxpayers^ Mr. J. A. Lee, a member of the Defence Committee, believed that the authorities had awakened to the position because they had obtained economic pensions. The Repatriaton Department wiped out , a fair quantity of arrears, and the. Lands Department was postponing the , remainder, but if the House wanted the committee to wipe out all interest, which amounted to £1000 in one case, fit was a big principle. . . J The Hon. A. D. McLeod offered no objection to the petition going back to the committee, although he could not see the purpose to be served. The committee, the Repatriation, and the Lands Departments were quite sympathetic towards tubercular cases, and had gone as far as poesible to help these men, but there was the .business side. Would it not bo better and cheaper to help, these men by taking the land away altogether f References had been made to the remission of rent for two or three years. The Lands Department had actually written off a thousand pounds'.' If large sums like that had to be written off it was going to be serious indeed, and might not bi to the benefit of the men themselves. The report was referred back to the committee for further consideration.