WAR VETERANS

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 115, 16 May 1936, Page 11

WAR VETERANS

THE ALLOWANCE ACT

"BURNT OUT" MEN

"The most important results of the annual conference," says the report of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association, "are the passing of the Veterans' Allowance 'Act, 1935, and of the War Pensions Amendment Act, 1935. The latter extends the benefits of pensions to widows of soldiers who married within seven years of discharge and who • died of a war disability. . ■■■■■, "The prematurely-aged soldier has presented a difficult problem. . .' . These men are known as 'burnt-out soldiers.' They were unable to prove that their disability was caused by war service and thus were unable to take advantage of the War Pensions Act." Haying given the history of efforts made to secure amelioration in the conditions of these men from 1928't0 date, the report proceeds:-—"A 'veteran' x is defined as: 'Any person' who ; having been a member of-the Forces, withinthe meaning of the principal Act (i.e., the War Pensions Act, 1915), served: overseas as a member of the New land Army Nursing Service, or, in'the case of any other member of. the Forces, served as such with a unit in actual engagement with the enemy; and also any other- person who, being domi-ciled-in New Zealand at the commence^ merit of .the, Great War, served therein' as .a member of' his Majesty's Forces other than the New- Zealand Forces with a unit in "actual" engagement with the enemy; and any person who, being domiciled in New Zealand at the commencement of the South African War, served therein as a member of a New Zealand Contingent raised' for service in connection with that war, with a unit in actual engagement with the enemy.' "This provides for recognition of members of our New Zealand Army Nursing Service and for the ex-service-men who actually; did the fighting 'with a unit in actual contact with the enemy'—this term is the simplest and plainest that could be designed and definitely covers the men about whom the' New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association has been so concerned, owing to their inability to prove their disablements as due to war service, to the satisfaction of the War Pensions Board. It also provides-for the New Zealander who lived, in New Zealand but for various reasons served with some other of his Majesty's forces (e.g., Australian, Canadian, British, etc.) and provision is -also made for the New Zealand veterans of the' South African War. .. , ■' ' "In addition to the above qualification of service 'there are provisions that the veteran shall satisfy the1 board (i.e., the War Pension Board) that he 'is unfit for permanent employment by reason of' physical and mental disability, and that he has resided' continuously in New Zealand for not less than1 five years immediately preceding the date of his application for an allowance.' (Continuous residence is not interrupted by 'occasional absences' from New Zealand not exceeding six months in the aggregate.) Some criticism has also been- levelled at the term 'unfit for permanent employment,1 but this, in effect, is intended to convey the meaning that the applicant could'"not (owing to his disablement), follow con-

tinuous employment even' if 'it were' available for him." ■ Dependants'' allowances are dealt with, and' the association concludes with the hope that the representations of the N.Z.-R.-S.A. to. the Government that the benefits of this Act be extended to all ex-sbldiers and nurses who 1 have fought for the flag'will, succeed.