RETURNED SOLDIERS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 148, 27 June 1929, Page 17

RETURNED SOLDIERS

CONFERENCE CONCLUDED

The conterenee of- tho New Zealand Eeturned Soldiers' Association was continued yesterday in the Council Chamber of tho Town Hall, Mr. B. J. Jacobs presiding, ,

In regard to organisation, it was agreed that the time had arrived in the history of the association when a definite move forward should be made to secure more members. It was decided to relieve the genefal secretary of routine work, to enable him to visit various parts of the Dominion.

Mr. E. F. Wilcox (Christchurch) pointed out "that the South Island held two-thirds of the total financial mernbersHfJ* of the association. In view of the larger population in tho North Island, the position was not so satisfactory as it might be.

Mr. G. T. Hall (Wellington) regretted that with the large body of men that went overseas the membership for New Zealand was only 7900. He was pleased to be' able to state that the Wellington membership was increasing.

Mr. W. E. Leadley (Christchurch) outlined a scheme of • 'healthy rivalry between local associations, with a view to increasing the membership, and suggested that headquarters should present a cup or banner to the association Which showed the greatest increase in new members.

Mr. J. D. Harper pointed out that the question 1 of membership was one mainly for local associations. The only thing the general secretary could do was to enthuse the local secretaries, who should then complete the work.

' An alteration was made so as to provide that in ■ addition to a Dominion vice-president there should be an additional four, vice-presidents to be representative of the following provinces: Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury and Westland, Otago and Southland. The committee -on near pensions re? commended:—"That the War Pensions Appeal Board be approached with a view to Saving that board's medical precis of appellant's case made available, provided that the appellant is agreeable, to association secretaries j that the. Government be urged, to amend the War' Pensions Act to pro-1 vide for pensions for widows of exsoldiers whose deaths /are attributable to war' service, irrespective of a prewar engagement to marry, or date of marriage; that owing to it being a fact that ex-service men are prematurely ageing as a result of war service, the Old Age Pension be payable to these men at (50 years of age, and at 55 years of age, providing that a medical certificate is presented' showing that the applicant's earning capacity is impaired; that it be a recommendation to the Government" to re-establish vocational training in connection with T.B. soldiery, particularly at Pukeora, whore there are v thirty-eight T.Bi returned men; that this meeting is of the opinion that the wives of men in receipt of full pension for dual disabilities such as the loss of two legs or a leg and an eye, and who are otherwise ( organically sound, "who marry .at any time after their discharge,' should be eligible to receive pensions. 'In cases of serious organic physical disability, such as T. 8., heart.disease, kidney disease, and in receipt of full pensions, the council feels that these marriages arc not- desirable and .that. the. wives should not be eligible for pensions."

The Canteen and War Funds Committee recommended that the follofwing resolution be passed to the National War Funds Council: "That in the interests of returned men, this. council urges upon all patriotic societies the desirability of framing rules calculated to secure uniformity throughout the Dominion in the method of administering patriotic funds" and granting assistance to returned, soldiers and their de- | pendents."

Officers were elected as follows: —-Dominion president, Major-General Sir. A. H. Russell; Dominion vice-president, Mr W. Perry; district vice-presidents, Colonel M. Aldred (Auckland), Messrs B. J. Jacobs (Wellington), Gr. Hay den

(Canterbury and Westland), and E. J. Anderson (Otago and Southland);, Dominion hon. treasurer, Mr. J. D. Harper; general committee, Messrs. S. Austin Carr (Auckland), J. M. White (Otago), W. E. Leadley (Canterbury), A. T. Duncan and C. W. Batten (Wellington), E. J. Brammal! (Nelson) ;■ Dominion

executive committee, Messrs. J. D. Harper, C. W. Batten', T. Duncan, B. Burdikin,: D. Colquhoun, D. G. Munro,

and Colonels H. E. Avery and G. T. Hall; representative on Canteen Funds Board, Colonel M. Aldred; representa-

tive on New Zealand Farmers' Union, Mr. Newton M'Conachie.