HELPING VETERANS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 47, 25 February 1937, Page 14

HELPING VETERANS

BRITISH POSITION

SOUTH AFRICAN FUNDS

The position of South African War veterans in GrSat Britain was outlined at a meeting held in the clubrooms of the South African War Veterans' Association last evening to enable local veterans to hear reports from two of their number who recenty visited England. When they left New Zealand they were asked to investigate the position of funds totalling £400,000 to see if relief could be secured for Imperial ex-servicemen in distress in New Zealand. They both stated that- it would be difficult to get relief from overseas, and the opinion was expressed that New Zealanders were very lucky to receive the treatment they did as it was a long way in advance of the position elsewhere. Mr. J. I. Goldsmith, executive chairman, presided. He said that they had met to hear reports from Dr. A. R. Falconer, C.8.E., of Dunedin, and Lieut-Colonel G. Mitchell, who had been to England. Dr. Falconer, who represented New Zealand at the conference of South African War Veterans at Harrowgate, said that he had difficulty in getting into touch with South African veterans when he arrived in Great Britain. At Harrowgate he had met men who had met New Zealanders in South Africa and found that they were still keenly interested in New Zealand and New Zealanders. At the conference, the Transvaal funds were discussed, and it was held that the money in one fund was held in trust for widows and orphans and could not be touched for any other purpose. Some of the delegates said the fund was doing good work. There were two funds and the other was in much the same position. However, it appeared that while the colonies , could not get a share of the capital, colonials were entitled to relief under the funds as they were administrated. He had explained to the conference that 40 per cent, of the South African War veterans in New Zealand were Imperial men and it was on their behalf that inquiries about the funds had been made. The New Zealanders were provided for by their own pension legislation and did not wish to claim a share of the funds in England. He had received the impression that any deserving cases of Imperial men in New Zealand would- receive every attention.' None of the Imperial men would be penalised by being out of Great Britain. WIDER USE OF FUNDS. A remit had been carried asking for the use of the funds for disabled men as well as widows and orphans, but the outlook in Britain was entirely dif-

ferent from that in New Zealand. The pensions were poorer and it was a common thing to see ex-servicemen begging. Colonel Mitchell said he could not add much to Dr. Falconer's report. He had also found difficulty in locating South African organisations in England. There was an organisation, but the men who served in South Africa appeared to know little about it and there was no effort to rope them.in. His impression was that the New-Zea-land returned soldiers were better treated and stood higher in public estimation and sympathy than did the exservicemen of any other country. The ex-soldier in England was a unit in society and nothing more. He was not considered or cared for as was the case in New Zealand. Colonel Mitchell said he had investigated the position for the War Relief Association on behalf of Imperial men in New Zealand, and he was satisfied that, pro rata, New Zealand was far better off and had .far fewer problems to face. As far as the four South African funds were concerned, a tremendous effort would have to be made to loosen the purse strings. He had met men who wanted the funds spent during the lifetime of the South: African veterans but they realised the difficulty, of getting the funds distributed." -- • ■

He had left England with the impression "that there was no target to hit and no one to fire the gun." His view was that the best course of action was to state the case of the Imperial men in New Zealand through the High Commissioner for. New Zealand.

Mr. Goldsmith' thanked the speakers for the information they had given, and his remarks were endorsed by Captain J. J. Clarke, president of the Wellington branch of the association.