DISABLED SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 104, 27 January 1938, Page 11

DISABLED SOLDIERS

Civil Re-Establishment Scheme RAPID PROGRESS OF WORK The rapid progress in the work of the Soldiers’ Civil Re-establishment League was commented upon by the Dominion chairman, Mr. J. I. Goldsmith, Wellington, who conducted a tour of the Dominion in connection with the work of the league. In 1930 the Government passed the Disabled Soldiers’ Civil Re-estab-lishment Act, said Mr. Goldsmith. The Act provided for the re-establishment of disabled soldiers in civil employment or occupation and it was intended to cover the recommendations of the commission which had investigated the matter. At present the Dominion headquarters are at Wellington and there are branches at the four centres. The league’s scope of activities includes assistance in securing employment, provision of vocational training and to initiate and foster industries in which partially disabled soldiers can engage successfully, while not displacing other workers who would, otherwise be thrown out of employment. “In approved cases the cost of raw materials and tools required by men making goods for the league’s shops is advanced,’’ said Mr. Goldsmith. “Advances are made, in approved cases, of small sums of money to help suitable men setting up in business and to assist men with partial knowledge of trades to secure employment as adult apprentices. AAistanee is also granted to men anxious to supplement their pensions by raising poultry or the growing of vegetables for market.” Men On Small Holdings. The league had also been instrumental in placing a number of men on small holdings of land and in nearly all cases they had been successful. Steps were being taken to secure such properties as reverted to the Crown and to get a revaluation on the basis of their production capacity. In such cases the league was prepared to give financial assistance toward the purchase of implements and stock. Apart from economic stress lack of finance had proved a great difficulty to the league at first, but the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association was instrumental in obtaining the proceeds of an art union amounting to £7043 and an annual grant of £2OOO from the Government.

Good progress was being made with the Sandilands cottage settlement scheme at Christchurch, The Christchurch Returned Soldiers’ Association was convinced that the cottage settlement scheme was a considerable improvement on the old idea of a veterans’ home. Under Mr. J. W. Beanland, Mayor of Christchurch, a committee was formed to promote the scheme and the settlement was now an accomplished fact-