THE HOME GUARD

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXX, Issue 13672, 20 June 1942, Page 4

THE HOME GUARD

(CMPENS AT lON QU ESTION On the question of compensation for death or injury suffered by Home Guardsmen while proceeding to or coming from parades, the annual report of the Dominion executive committee of the N.Z.R.S.A. mentions the appointment of the Dominion president (the Hon. W. Perry, M. to a committee of three to advise the Prime Minister on the subject, and quotes from Mr Fraser’s letter to Mr Perry as follows “It is recognised that there is no legal liability under the present law, and the Government desires that these men should be compensated where that is appropriate.” The report states that Mr Perry, in accepting- the appointment, made clear the association’s view that Home Guardsmen and their dependants should be pensionable in the event of injury or death, and that Mr Fraser would appreciate that his agreement to act on the committee must not be taken to imply that the N. receded in any way from its contention that the men and/or their dependants should be granted pensions. “The N.Z.R.S.A. has advocated from the outset of the present war that the men serving to-day should receive at least the same benefits and privileges as those who served during the 1914-18 war,” comments the report on the general question of war‘pensions and other benefits.