"WRONG OUTLOOK"

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 146, 22 June 1937, Page 8

"WRONG OUTLOOK"

PENSIONERS' FEAR.

MIGHT NOT SUCCEED.

WOULD NOT BE PENALISED.

In the third annual report of the Soldiers" Civil Rc-establishment League the chairman, Major -T. I\. Kirk, M.B.E comments on the. fact that some disabled men receiving a pension are still unemployed, because they believe that in working they could not earn more than the pension they received •without working. Major Kirk states that they are wrong in their outlook. Difficult Task.

"On my visits each year to the factories at Auckland and Dunedin I have seen for myself how difficult it k to pas* men through these factories as we had hoped—on to other employment, thus opening the way for others to come in and be trained and in their turn to go on to outside engagement. One matter that impresses me is that some disabled men on a pension are still unemployed because of one thing alone— their own belief that, in working, the? could Jiot earn more than the pension thev are receiving without working, and so they decide to remain with their'time to themselves,"' states Major Kirk.

'"In part they are afraid that if thev ventured into employment, and -were unsuccessful, they might prejudice their future pension—in other words that once having lost it through earning its equivalent tlicy might have difficulty in recovering it if for any reason thev failed to make good in their work. Thev are wrong in this—wrong i n their assumption, and wrong in their outlook. But there it is. and it is a very real difficulty. The War Pensions Board administers its work with the utmost sympathy, and if these men knew better than they apparently do. that thev would be allowed, without deduction, to earn something, they mi«ht be brought into employment* for their own mental and physical well-being."

Position Relieved.

Major Kirk added that the improvement in the economic position had made I l t . possible to place a large number of disabled soldiers in employment and it was pleasing to report that very few -skilled men who were willing and able to work were now out of employment. The most difficult problem was still tie placing of those unskilled disabled men who were not fit to do heavy work The new pensions legislation had relieved the financial position greatly in many cases. The shops in Wellington. Auckland and Christ church had all shown improved returns during the year, due partly to the better times, and also to the fact that the quality and variety of the handicrafts produced by the disabled men were constantly improving.