U.S.A.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18095, 10 June 1924, Page 9

U.S.A.

DOMINION CONFERENCE. The Dominion Conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, resumed yesterday morning, Mr D. S. Sfmith presiding over a full attendance of delegates. Pensions. Over tho week-end' the various subcommittees considered the remits sent forward by the various branches. F° r those remits in regard to pensions and local committees, Mr D. S. Smith, for the sub-committee, recon mended in liou of these remits that the following resolution be adooted: —"That this Council is strongly of opinion that the present working of the "War Pensions Amendment Act, 19*23, is unsatisfactory in that the paramount object of establishing the economic pension (viz. that to assist men for whom suitable employment cannot be provided so that they can maintain themselves and their families adequately or whose employment is insufficient for this purpose) has not been .attained; that tho only method, in the opinion of the Council, of attaining this object is by the establishment of local committees of the type qf the Local Repatriation Committees, who will endeavour to find work for the applicants and make recommendations to tho AVar Pensions Board as to what economio pension (if any) should be granted; and the Government be urged to establish these committees forthwith." This resolution was practically a condensation of the three remits from Auckland, Canterbury and Otago. Mr W. E. Leadley, in seconding the resolution, said that applicants for economic pensions should come in personal contact with the authorities. Local committees might overcome that difficulty. He quoted" the case of the Hei Hei, settlers, who were getting deeper and deeper into debt every month, and if a local committee was empowered to investigate cases such as those there would be less chance of hardship. It seemed best that the economic clause should bo abolished, and the pensions raised to £3 10s per week. Mr E. F. Andrews said that the Government had not done its duty towards disabled soldiers. The Government told the private employers to eni .gage disabled soldiers, but they did not do,so themselves. Mr B. J. Jacobs said that there we're shortcomings in the Act in regard to | economic pensions. Mr ,T. D. Harper said that he was convinced the War • Pensions Board would not be against local committees. ■The men themselves did not want an economic pension, but wanted work. | Then the Board would discover the men who did not want to work and preferred pensions. There were ppsitions in the Government —in the P. and T. and Railway Departments—where limbless and disabled men could be employed, and the Government should make those positions availaWe._ The resolution was carried unanimously. The Canterbury district brought forward the following remit:"To urge the Government to grant the economio (pension independently of tho amount' of the ordinary pension. This district conference further requests the Dominion Council to direct the incoming Dominion Executive that, if the Government declines to adopt this course of action, the whole question of the •abolition of the economic pension and the coincident raising of the ordinary . penson to £3 10s per week shall be re- • viewed." - ■■■' The sub-committee for this recommended th© following •. — 1 'That the attention of the War tensions Board be directed to sutr-sectione (2) and (3) of . Section 2 of the War Pensions Amendment Act; 1923, which in the opinion of this council, entitle any member of the Forces in receipt of a pension, of whatever amount, to apply for an economic, pension and that in the opinion of this council it is the duty of the War Pensions Board to consider this .application in the light of all factors affecting his economic position, including his age.' Mr D. S. Smith moved and Mr W. E. Leadley seconded the amendment, which was carried. ■ There was a good deal of discussion on the Otago remit: "That where an ex-soldier receiving treatment in hospital as a service patient" makes application for; and is granted an economic pension such pension should date as from the time first incapacitated." The pensions sub-committee had discussed this question, and had recommended: "That in view of Mr Harper's explanation that the general policy of the War Pensions Board is to date back an economic pension, if it is applied for within one month of the date of incapacity, tho remit ber not proceeded with." Most speakers were in favour of ,the original /remit standing and on being put to the conference, the original remit was carried by an overwhelming majority. '' Benefit of Doubt.'' ■ The remit from Auckland in regard to pension applicants was recommended to read as follows: —"That the War Pensions Board be.- strongly urged to fulfil the Government's policy of giving

tho applicant the benefit of tho doubt f n °»? '» ">»**& &*&*%%£ This was agreed to n f d t'™f tla ' "r ing a poiic e p ma rt 0 i;°i mu ?- 6end ; pensioners, was not nmro / Ul . r , l f s In li.M, ' ot two «Kt ed , appeals, it „as recomn.ended'Kt£ ?™n o "»2 irrafr" sent no right of appeal " P Tli is was adopted li S c !""ff f ™"> ">« Qwsi, Mar, Hoi pital, Hanmer Springs or iJ similar institutions, be'granted a full pension until such time Sfi the medioa report has been considered by the Pensions Department, but in all cases tW full' e pinsion eC :iv - least tw ° mo^hs> full pens on alter his discharge from hospital," be altered to rend- «TW tk. Standing structed to obtain the opinions of three medical experts (including T> r . Marsha I Macdonald and Dr. Eardlev Fenwick) as to the present policy of the Pensions Department in cases referred if°v m nf f e J em,t; and that if the niajorr "Pinions so obtained is in the view expressed in the remit that Standing Sub-Committee be instructed to press for the adoption Vf, n T V cX, th 6 De Partment t? T ji Smith moved, and Mr W. Loadlc Y seconded the adoption of the amended remit. This was agreed to Tho Auckland district forwarded: That this conference has no confidence in the War Pensions Board an at piesent 6onstituted and nsks that an advocate be permitted to appear before the Board." In lieu of this remit, the following resolution was adopted: "That this Council requests that an advocate be permitted to appear before the War Pensions Board in all cases of attributabihty, wher e desired by the applicant.''

After Treatment. The conference decided to re-affirm its resolution at the 1923 conference in regard to halhvay houses for persons temporarily afflicted mentally. It was then pointed out that the environments of asylums retarded and did not induce the recovery of such persons. With regard to tho manufacture of artificial limbs, Mr W T . E. Leadley moved the adoption of the following remit from Auckland: "That this conference records its emphatic protest against any form of centralisation, 01; proposal by the Government to centralise the work of manufacture, repair, and supply of artificial limbs | in Wellington, for the following reasons: (1) That a man must send his i limb to .Wellington when it is in need of a major repair, and get it back without a fitting, or else he has to proceed to Wellington and spend a considerable time there. (2) If he requires a new limb he must go to Wellington at some stage of the proceedings to be measured for the limb, and to be fitted: this means serions loss and inconvenience to the amputee and may entail loss of Ms employment, ami further this conference desires to bring to the notice of the Pensions Department, Dominion Conference, and Headquarters, the fact that the Government by its policy of establishing branch factories in , the different centres must have recognised some of the disadvantages of centralisation. Further, we desire to point out that any scheme of centralisation is unnecessary, for th 6 fact that the Government could supply standard' set-ups to the various local'Sr/m who have already demonstrated their ability to give satisfactory fittings to amputees and also points out that any slight saving that might be effected in the cost of manufacture will be more than counter-balanced by the cost of travelling expenses and allowances paid whilst in Wellington." This remit was adopted after some discussion. With regard to no clothing allowance being granted to amputees, it was decided: "That local Associations be requested to obtain evidence of the wear and tear referred to and to forward the same to Headquarters; Headquarters to take the matter up with the Medical Administrator of Pensions, if evidence warrants action." Mr W. E. Leadley moved, and Mr Mr G. W. Lloyd seconded: "That the conference emphatically opposes the suggestion contained in the annual report that the Pensions Board in New Zealand should consist/ of the Commissioner of Pensions and the DirectorGeneral of Medical Supplies, and that the present Pension Board be done away with. It is of the opinion that such action would be most detrimental to the war pensioners of the Dominion." The motion was carried.

Poppy DayRemits were received from Auckland, Wellington, and Otago in regard to a number of recommendations. There was a good deal of discussion. Both Mr R. B. Bell and Mr E. P. Andrews spoke against the suggestion that Poppy Day should be held on or about Armistice Day. Tho Rev. J. McCrae said that poppies and Anzac Day served to go together. People liked to buy the poppies and wear them on Anzac Day, and if Poppy Day was altered to Armistice Day, sales of poppies would go down by 50 per cent. Mr W. E. Leadley said Christchurch had a splendid record in regard to Anzac Day celebrations, and tho poppy played a prominent part each year. He I moved that the custom be not interfered with. Mr R. B. Jacobs said that he could not see any connexion with Poppy Day and y\nzae Day. It seemed wrong to benefit financially by appealing to people's sentiment. It seemed a dc- , moralising thing for the R.S.A. to ' * parade its bones'' and then ask for financial assistance. If Poppy Day was to be continued he hoped it would bo dissociated from Anzac Day. 'Mr Leadley's motion, "That the arrangement of Poppy Day as at present be not interfered with," was carried. It was decided that local Associations determine tho specific distribution of the proceeds of Poppy Day, special attention to be devoted to relief of unemployment and jNew Zealand Veterans Home, Auckland.

Organisation and Constitution, A special sub-committee gave lengthy consideration to proposed amendments of organisation and constitution of the Association. There was lengthy discussion in open conference, and a number of amendments of the constitution were agreed to. Canteen and War Funds. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr R B Bell: "(1) That this annual general meeting of the Council of the NZR SA. reaffirms the resolution (passed".it its last annual meeting) to the effect that the Association is of the fixed opinion that the present corpus of the Canteen Fund, which now aszregates £163,000, should be conserved 'and, further, that the fund should'be allowed to accumulate at compound interest until it reaches f 200 000 (2) That this annual general meeting of the Council of the NJ3 ES A reaffirms the resolution, (passed at its annual meeting in 1922) which reads a s follows: 'That any attempt by the Regimental and Canteen Funds Trust Board or the Government to transfer the control of tho Canteen

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Funds from the Regimontal and Can. teen Funds Trust Board to the National War Funds Council, or any other body whatever, for administration, bo strenuously resisted by the New Zealand Eeturned Soldiers' Association.' " Land. The deliberations of the Special Land Sub-Committee set up centred round land revaluations, and decisions of the Dominion Revaluation Board. In those districts where the revaluations were furthest forward, complaints were to hand that the decisions were not such as to afford any proper measure of relief to the settlers concerned. It was the opinion of the committee that exhaustive enquiry should be made into these cases, and, if in the light of evidence presented injustice had. been done, then the Association should ask for a revision of the particular case. The number of issued decisions in the South Island seemed to be much more numerous than in the North Island, and it was felt that in order to relieve the. natural anxiety of the settlers as to their future, the Government should be urged to expedite the publication of their findings as much as possible. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr I B. J. Jacobs, that the Government be urged to give soldiers who had financed themselves, preference under the State Advances Act. It was "That preference be given to discharged soldiers (whether already settled on the land or not) as against civilians in the letting of grazing rights over, or the leasing of Crown lands acquired for discharged soldier settlement, and not taken up, or land which has been taken up by discharged soldiers, but has reverted to the Crown." With regard to housing, the following remit was approved: "That in view of the long delays in dealing with applications for loans for building purposes under the State Advances Act, and in addition the restrictions under that Act, this Association strongly urges the Government again to put into operation Section 2 of the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act, making provision for loans to discharged soldiers for building purposes."

Unemployment. The sub-committee reported that though the Government was making an attempt to place disabled soldiers in light employment, the reports of delegates indicated that in many instances the nature of the employment offered was absolutely unsuitable fron the naturo and extent of the man's disability or unreasonable from the poini, of view of his educational attainment. It was resolved: "That.the attention of the Government be again drawn, to the fact that there are a large number of disabled soldiers capable of filling positions as clerks, liftmen, caretakers, messengers, crossing-keepers, etc., who are unemployed, and that a special endeavour be made by the Government to place all these men in suitable employment, having regard in each case to the man's physical condition and his attainments." With reference to T.B. and neurasthenics it had to be admitted serious difficulty presented itself, but that must not prevent the Association from seeing that they received the special care and attention their condition required. It was resolved: "That the Government be requested to give more attention to the after care of T.B. and neurasthenic soldiers, and that more suitable avenues of light employment be oponcd up for these men."" At 10.50 p.m. the conference adjourned until 9.30 thi3 morning.