RETURNED MEN

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23811, 3 December 1942, Page 3

RETURNED MEN

MILITARY PAY OR EMPLOYMENT

VIEWS OF SERVICES

ASSOCIATION

It is the contention of the Christ* church executive of the Returned Services’ Association that until discharged any service man should remain on military pay and allowances, war pension, or found satisfactory employment by the State Placement Service, or should receive a rehabilitation unemployment allowance. On no account, it was held at Monday’s meeting, should a service man be placed on Social Security until all the other alternatives mentioned be exhausted. It was resolved, on the motion of the chairman (Mr C. Miln), to support a resolution on those lines which had been approved by the Dominion executive of the association. Reporting regarding a recent visit he had paid to Hanmer Springs, the chairman said he was of opinion that in the majority of cases the men should be carried on by the Army until they had finished hospital treatment and their future had been decided. “At the moment these men are swallowed up by the machine of departmentalism,” he said, “and they are confused.” It was not the Government’s intention, he submitted, that this state of confusion should exist, but at the present time three separate departments were concerned. “Surely men who have suffered disabilities on service overseas are entitled to better privileges than members of the Home Guard!” he said. “This matter is urgent!” It was obvious that the situation was serious, said Archdeacon Petrie, but he doubted whether the resolution went far enough. “If the public knew the real facts,” he added, “they would certainly have something to say.”

The chairman: We find that three separate departments are handling the same man, and between them all he falls. Much of this trouble could be obviated if the Army Department retained control