AFTER MANY YEARS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 129, 1 June 1926, Page 8

AFTER MANY YEARS

CLAIMS BY EX-SOLDIERS

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.") '• DTJNEDIN, This Day./ "None of us realised that eight years after the war had ended we would be meeting so many claims for assistance as we are meeting to-day," said 'Mr. J. J. Clark, at the annual meeting of the Otago Patriotic and Welfare Association. There was little if any decrease in the number of claims. Members would notice, he said, that the expenditure during the past year had been slightly, higher than in previous years. Every tlay'there were cases of men who had carried out their work in good health and were now breaking down. A pathetic feature of these I cases was' that th* collapses in health came without warning. The greater majority of returned men were married and had large family responsibilities, and they would realise the deplorable distress in. which these men and women would be placed without assistance from the patriotic fund, which was prepared to give Jielp till the Pensions Department considered the cases or the men were, fit for work again. As. some ill-nesses-extended over years, it was impossible for the committee to carry the wholo'burden, and other organisations were-asked to co-operate .and keep the people going. The other bodies were the Bed Cross Society and the Eeturned Soldiers' Association...j - . 1 "On many occasions we have severely criticised, and gjgrhaps justly, the attitude of the Pens'rtms"Board," said Mr. Ctark, "and I think it is only fair that wo should express; our very great appreciation of the work the board is now ( doing," Mr. Clark stated. "There is no doubt that if there is any possible chance to give a man or woman a pension, it should be done..The board is not looking for excuses not to give, a pension, but is looking for excuses to give relief. Cases which were turned down in, the past; are now receiving good pensions, and we are gratified to see the wonderful improvement. We have to thank the Government for what it has done, just as we criticised it in the past for what it did not do." ,