UNFIT EX-SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 225, 19 June 1936, Page 12

UNFIT EX-SOLDIERS

League Agrees to R.S.A. Proposals PAST YEAR’S WORK The recommendations formulated by the New Zealand Relurned Soldiers’ Association conference on Wednesday for changes in the .statutory position of Hie Soldiers’ Civil Re-establishment League and in its constitution were adopted by the league at its annual meeting yesterday. A. committee was appointed to draft the changes to the constitution and rules. The league met in the room where the Ji.S.A. had been meeting, many of the delegates being members of the league. While moving the adoption of the annual report, tile chairman, Major .1. R. Kirk, announced that the league would lie prepared to accept the recommendations of the Returned Soldiers' Association. The two bodies should work together, he said. The motion to adopt the proposals was moved by the Hon. W. Perry, M.L.C.. and seconded by .Mr. B. J. Jae Obs, who spoke on the lines of his speech Io the conference the previous day. He said there was not the least intention to east any reflection.on those who bad worked for the league. Any suspicion as to the position of the R.S.A. must be dissipated. They appreciated all that the league had done and thanked it. Messrs. Jaeobsx G. E. Sadd and J. Tucker were appointed the committee to carry the proposals further. The league resolved Io seek preference by the Government for products of New Zealand ex-servicemen. Suggestions to Government. Remits were adopted by the meeting with the following objects: To bring before the Government the claims of the disabled ex-soldier in its employment programme; to call the attention of the Minister of Lands to the need for more small suburban farms; to have the privilege of free vocational training at technical schools reinstated; to have more disabled soldiers engaged as part-time postmen; to have the Returned Soldiers’ Association branches assist in the sale of disabled soldiers’ products and to urge the Government to give preference of employment to partially disabled soldiers in such positions as liftmen, messengers and eareta kers.

It. was decided that, in future the annual meeting coincide with the annual meeting of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association. At a meeting of the headquarters "I the league, Major Kirk was re-elected chairman and treasurer for the following year. Unskilled Men the Difficulty. The annual report of the chairman slated that, the efforts to find suitable employment for disabled soldiers had met with much success. Not one skilled artisan registered with tho league's Wellington branch was out of employment, and that was symptomatic of conditions throughout, the league's branches. The main difficulty was the. placing of unskilled, partiallv disabled men. qualified onlv to do labouring work, and not physically fit for much of that. The new pensions legislation would, it was believed, relieve 'the position considerably in that regard. The policy of providing vocational training had been continued with gratifying success, and would be fostered wherever possible, although advancing years and ineptitude of many men hindered much further progress. . One of the best means of employing,disabled men was still found to be the stimulation of home industries. The shops in. Auckland Wellington and Christchurch, all showed a satisfactory position,, and m each case a steady improvement in business is recorded. The mop factory at Auckland had been able to increase its staff of disabled men. The leather factory at Dunedin continued to show a highly satisfactory position, and last year its output of dog-collars alone was over 60,000. . rhe basket-work factory at Gisborne continued t.p find a ready market for its output. The woodwork factory at Dunedin was still in its infancy, but the prospects were distinctly good. . , The chairman said in the report tliat he realised that the Government must have adequate rules for the admission of its servants, but the rule against admitting men over 40 entailed, in certain cases, a hardship on the ex-soldier now averaging 45-55. and he could wish that in certain cases they might be relaxed, a necessary condition being that such men taken on in no way were under the benefit of the superannuation fund. The sale of the portraits of King George V would benefit the league’s funds by at least £2OO and gave temporary employment to some men, but sales of the picture “Carillon” had been somewhat disappointing so far. More than 400 disabled men were employed on the census.