ITALY'S DOINGS FOR DISABLED SOLDIERS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3142, 6 November 1922, Page 2

ITALY'S DOINGS FOR DISABLED SOLDIERS.

Italy luis been quite justly quoted in England and elsewhere as an example of excellent measures taken and laws passed by Parliament in favor of disabled soldiers. The pensions of Italian soldiers have been increased, they areassured by law preferential treatment in admission to public employments, an<l a law lias been passed compelling industrial and agricultural enterprises to provide labor in specified proportion to disabled soldiers. 15nl these advantages have been obtained only by strong agitation. and. above all. through the National Organisation of Disabled Soldiers. which comprises nearly 100.000 members. This organisation was founded' immediately alter the armistice, and gradually suceeded in inducing all disabled soldiers to join. They were thus able to briny great pjcssuro lo bear on public opinion, on the Government, and on Parliament. Two years ago. seeing that some of their legitimate demands wero unduly neglected, they organised movements it: all the large towns, and in Homo occupied several Ministries. and threatened, one day. under the Giolitti Government, to occupy Parliament building. They gathered in great force in front of Monte Citorio, and were about to penetrate into the Chamber when, by the advice of Signer Giolitti. Parliament was induced to promise them immediate relief. In fact, deputies abandoned all other business, and began to discuss, that same day. measures of urgent relief for disabled soldiers, and at midnight passed a law in their favor, raising the pension of soldiers until it almost equalled that of officers, with an increase of !>()() lire per annum. At. the same time a. special increase was voted for the category of "super" disabled officers and soldiers, comprising those who were completely blind or who had lost two limbs, and were entirely disabled from gaining a livelihood. This lategory received a pension of 11.000 lire per an-, num. wVneVi Sot ii pow oowwtYx Wa> Italy was unprecedented. The same law, the text of which was drawn up by Deputy Labriola .under the (Jiolitti Government, made it compulsory for all industrial and commercial enterprise* to employ one disabled soldier in every twenty laborers hired. This measure was immediately applied. a census being taken throughout Italy, and agents of the Disabled Soldiers' Union watching over its application. The percentage: was so high that in many districts it was impossible to find enough disabled soldiers to supply tit© requisite number of applicants. The National Union of Disabled l Soldiers is not connected with any political party, and tbiw ha® been the secret of its success. The Socialists tried at first to organise them in the form,of a socalled "Proletarian Union" orDisabled Soldiers, but gained few adherents, and the matter was dropped. The National Union of Disabled Soldiers also obtained important contributions to its funds from private donations all over the country, since everybody favored its (viiU'sc, and with the capital thus raised, and additional funds obtained from the Government, it constituted co-operative societies, mainily devoted to reclaiming large tracts of waste land or marshes 1 in Tuscany, near Pisa, at Campi Fpegrei (?), near Naples, and San Luri, in Sardinia, which supplied employment and a. home to many thousand's. The question of employment was thus settled. but to-day they are still agitating to ' obtain equality of pension with officers, claiming that, as all fought in a com-

mo7i cause, all have a right to the same pension. Officers receive in pension a sum equal to their salaries plus one-fifth, and, as soldiers received no salaries, the sum allotted to them is on a basis of .'{.ooo lire per annum plus one-fifth. Their demand to-day iis to have it raised to a basis of 5,000 lint 1 ' per annum.