WAR'S AFTERMATH

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 95, 19 October 1933, Page 5

WAR'S AFTERMATH

HEALTH OF EX-SOLDIERS

EFFECT OF SERVICE

The necessity for. more lenient treatment for ex-soldiers who were beginning to feel the ill effects of their war service, but' whose troubles could not be definitely traced to war service, was stressed in. the House of -Representatives yesterday afternoon, when the War Pensions Amendment Bill, introduced by Mr. J. A. Lee (Labour, Grey Lynn), was under discussion. The Bill proposes to permit all soldiers who have had a period of service overseas to put in a claim for a war pension on the ground that their active service contributed to their ill health.' Mr. J. Hargcst (Government, Invcrcargill) said he would support the principles of the Bill, but as an exsolilier,'; he wanted to thank the Government .and former Governments for what they had done for ex-servicemen. There were only eight or nine ex-soldiers in the House, and while they were willing to support the Bill, they .would have liked to have been taken into the confidence of the member for Grey Lynn. He hoped Mr. Lee's desire to serve the ex-soldier was not subservient to his desire to sierve his party. Mr. said he would support the Bill. Mr. R. McKcen (Labour, Wellington South) said that the Government was more concerned with buttressing the financial instutitions of the country than with helping the returned soldiers. MR. HARGEST CRITICISED. Mr. H. Atmore (Independent, Nelson) criticised Mr. Hargest's reference to Mr. Lee as a "very ungenerous remark.'.' Ho said he took, serious exception to the unworthy suspicion directed at the action of Mr. Lee by Mr. -Hargest. Mr. Atmore contended that, there should be a general invalidity pension without discrimination. He referred to the number of cases of hardship reported, and emphasised1 the difficulty, in proving that the suffering of the present was due to actions of the past. The Leader-of the Opposition (Mr. M. J. Savage) said that every member on the Opposition side of the House would support the principles in the Bill. He did not think that any member in the House would: think that a man who went to ,the Front Was just as capable todVy of resisting disease as though he had not gone. He agreed that an invalidity pension was the solution. In the present case, there was only one reasonable thing for the Government to do. It was obvious that there was a majority of mombers in the House who wanted something done along the lines indicated by the Bill. The Government should take the measure up, and if there were any corners which needed knocking off, the member in charge of the Bill had already indicated his willingness to have that done. Mr.' E. Semple (Labour, Wellington East) said that if all the members who spoke in favour of. the Bill voted for it, then it would become law. "I would earnestly ask the Government to do something to rectify the present position," said Mr. P. Fraser (Labour, Wellington Central), who'appealed to the Prime Minister to give the House an assurance that something would be done. to extend the benefits of pensions to those who deserved them.' Every member of the House knew of the overwhelming number of instances in which there was no hope of remedy under the present legislation. The administrators of the Act w>ero most sympathetic, but they were limited,by the provisions of the Act. ... , ' LIMIT TO BURDENS. The -Prime. Minister (the i Rt. Hon. G. W. For.bes) aaid that matters raised during <ttie debate "had not come rundcr his notice.' All. were naturally sympathetic; with those who were suffering ill health,, biit their , sympathies unfortunately .had" .to be reined by the', means at their, disposal. A Labour member: Get some more.. Mr. Forbes said that it was easy to talk in that fashion, but there was

always a limit to the burden a community could bear, and if the- loan was made too heavy there might be repercussions. It had always been desired by tho Government and the board to administer the legislation as generously as possible, but he would be glad to look. into the points which had been raised. The Bill was read a first time.