Dunedin Gossip

Cromwell Argus, Volume L, Issue 2648, 17 November 1919, Page 5

Dunedin Gossip

[From ouk own Correspond hint-J Dunedin, November 11th. Sir dames Aden has once again been unfortunate in following the advice of his officers—or perhaps it might be more correct to say that from the first he has been unfortunate in his choice of officers. .Some genius conceived the idea that it might be better for a good many of the returned soldiers who are receiving hospital treatment if they could be got out of uniform and out of the groove into which some might he inclined to remain, and might also serve as a tonic and cause them to forget their troubles where these were minor ones. The idea, if carried out carefully and tactfully, was no doubt a good one. But instead of communicating directly with the medical officers who were treating these men and explaining the idea and getting them to carry it into effect as far as possible, some other genius—or mayhap it may have been the same one-—conceived the idea of appointing a travelling medical board to examine all the men receiving treatment, and discharge from the Force as many cases as could be done with benefit to the men themselves. The result was the appearance in Dunedin of two men in rather rusty uniforms, who having obtained the addresses of men receiving treatment, summoned them to attend before them for examination. No one locally appears to know exactly what the special qualifications of the two medical officers were, but the gentlemen themselves appear to have imagined themselves supermen, and after an examination' extending over a few minutes only ordered quite a number to be discharged from the Expeditionary Force. So far as can he made out the two members of the Travelling Board do not: seem to have consulted the medijal men who were treating the case-, ff this is so it means that, after a five minutes examination the two strangers decided they knew bettor than the medical men who had had the cases under them for weeks, and in some cases for months.

The matter was taken up by the Returned Soldier's Association, and at a recent meeting cases were cited in which the decision to discharge appeared to be little short of wanton callousness. The Returned Soldiers Association decided to call a public meeting and ventilate the cases of alleged hardships so as to arouse public sympathy. The authorities became alarmed and the officer commanding the district, on his return from a visit to Central Otago, made it known lh.it he was not in sympathy willi any action "that would inilict hardship. The Defence Minister, also made it convenient to reach lhiiicdiu and invited the officers of the KS A. to meet him. The meeting tcok place, but whereas the K,K.A. delegates wished to hear what Sir dames had to say, he, on the ot her hand, wanted detai's of the eases they had take:, up. Whether the U.S.A. dele-

gates distrusted the Minister and his advisers, or whether I hoy feared that as the meeting of the public was frilled For the same evening the disclosing fit' the details to the Minister would he giving away their thunder, is no! clear. But they absolutely declined'to disclose more than one ease lo tin.' Minister. In vain did Sir •bunes complain thai this action was placing himself and his olfieors in a false position. The delegates were unmoved, no doubt being conscious that the Minister and his officers had put themselves in the position they were in.

The meeting took place, was well attended, and the Mayor, who pre .sided, was very outspoken, not mincing his opinion, and making il clear that the public were behind the Returned Soldiers Association. Dr Harrison, president of the Association, gave details of eight eases vouched for by medical officers at the llospital, and after some speech-nuking a resolution was passed protecting against the harsh and unjust action of the Travelling .Medical Board, uid calling upon the Prime Minister to take such action as will reius'ato under the Defence Department all men discharged by the |)oard who are not physically [it lo return to their former occupations, or lo cuter upon such training as will fit them for a new vocation suitable for their disabilities., and in future when men are examined for discharge by a Travelling Medical Board, the evidence of the medical officers attending the cases be taken before a decision is arrived at. Tho resolution is equivalent to a vote of want of confidence in Sir -James Allen, General Robin, at\d the members of the Travelling Medical Board and some others, How Sir dames Allen will fake it remains to be seen, ft has been his misfortune to havo had as advisers officers who have been perpetually yetting him into trouble by tactlessly carrying out thing.; which though possibly good in their aim have called down on the Ministers head public indignation. And yet no one could be bell :r meaning than the Minister. The .singular part of n-ost of llu mistakes has been tiyi'; they all bore the impress of being intended to save money--a direction in which the Minister is known, to have .;> weak I peas. j Mr ij!a.e!i, of : ' Black Pamphlet" j fame, who i'. opposing* Messrs Paid and { hsidey for South Duncdin, hj id a rather I uncomfortable time of it at his first meeting of electors at St. Ivilda. it was early made clear that a insiderable section of the audience were in sit tendance with the intention of breaking up the meeting by preventing the candidate haying a hearing. ! While they did not actually succeed

they were able to divert the attention of the candidate from the principal points of his political faith. If the noisy section intended to help the candidature of Mr Paul then they failed very badly Mr Black was largely an unknown quantity before this meeting, but the tieatmeut he received has evoked a good deal of sympathy among those who have little faith in Mr Sidey's politics, and are inclined to distrust Mr Paul as having behind his speken word views which approach those of extremists such as Messrs Semple and Holland.