N.Z.R.S.A.

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 147, 23 June 1937, Page 4

N.Z.R.S.A.

MEMBERSHIP GROWTH

REPORT ON ACTIVITIES

WAR PENSIONS

For the tenth successive year, states the annual report of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, which was presented to the annual conference in Wellington today, an increase in financial membership is recorded. The present membership is 23,620, as against 26,823 a year ago. During the year two new branches —Kawakawa and district R.S.A., and Kaikohe and district R.S.A. —were affiliated, making a total of 87 branches. From the association point of view, one of the outstanding events of the year -was the amendment of the War Pensions Act. The association had urged - the removal of the time limit placed on the marriage of returned soldiers, which had resulted in many widows being deprived of relief after the death of returned soldiers because of war causes, and the amendment removed this limit alm6st entirely. Other legislative alteration that had an effect on returned soldiers and their wives were the restoration of the old age pension to 20s a week; the reduction in the residential qualification for the old age pension;, the increase in the Maori War veterans' pension to 20s a week; th» full restoration of the allowance to wives and other dependants of disabled soldiers, and of the economic pension payable to war widows arid widowed mothers; and the partial restoration of the cut in economic pensions payable to New Zealand war pensioners.. The report states that the association considers that the residential qualification for the old age pension should be further reduced to twenty years in order to allow exservicemen of Britain and other Dominions jiow in New Zealand to become eligible when they reach the requisite age. VETERANS' ALLOWANCE.

made regarding the ~. war veterans' allowance were not sucn, cessful, the report states. The Governut ment was asked to make' a one-third .'■ increase in the allowances and to inX- crease the income limit for single men j*j' to £52 and for married men to £.104 e _ a year. The inclusion of -men who \i- served in overseas forces, those who; us served in the South African War, and _ those who served in the Mercantile Marine,was also.requested. It was considered that these matters; if attended to, would remove numerous anomalies, of During the year inquiries were made :h to see if a scheme could be arranged st for hospital treatment concessions, such ") a scheme having been suggested by !1 the Hokitika R.S.A. "It is pleasing to record that, in consequence, satisfac- ~ tory agreements have been made, or are being . negotiated, by several r, branches," states the report. "The Danes nevirke district R.S.A., as soon as it ar>n rived at a satisfactory basis, supplied to a- Dominion headquarters the details "- which were in turn made available to }' branches. Their agreement has now '" been finalised, and 113 members have contributed. This scheme is strongly recommended to all ■ associations, for - there are thousands of ex-servicemen r" who are not members .of friendly * societies, and who, would be glad to IB avail themselves of the privilege of hosn pital treatmeont for themselves and iB their families fo.r, say, 30s or 40s per d annum." .... . • t UNEMPLOYED ..EX-SOLDIERS. _, 1- Dealing'"with unemployment,-the report states that reprssentations were made.to the N.Z.E.F. Canteen and Regis' mental Funds Trust Board for a continuation of the grant of £18,000 a year made during the depression period, g and the board decided to continue the 1- grant at £1500 a month until the end of January, 1937. The board advised that it considered that its funds . in future should be used for the relief of unemployable rather than unemployed men. Before the end of January the association reported on the distribu- . tion of the grants mads and the board decided to continue them until the end of July, 1937. The board also asked the association to state reasons . why any further grants for the relief of unemployment should be made. The National War Funds Council also agreed to grant £1500 a month for the relief of unemployment, but reserved the right to reduce this amount if the situation became easier, and recent • grants have been £900 a month. "Summing, up the whole situation 'i from the available information," the ' report continues, "the committee is of '• the opinion that, in so far as the. 'fit' ; ex-servicemen are concerned, the posi- j tiori of unemployment is' greatly im- c proved; but, unfortunately, the age factor has demonstrated that although 1 many ex-servicemen are presumably i fit, they are not sufficiently so to com- * pete with the younger men and conse- g quently their opportunities (those with c no trades or professions) are not only t . restricted but fewer. This class of i man is likely to need relief for a long a time—he is too fit to be eligible for the . war veterans'.allowance or the invalid- * ity pension and the avenues for his | employment are becoming fewer and fewer." ; ..'■.. f

. The report refers to the establishment of the committee that; is to inquire into the administration of war funds and make representations to the Government. According to a statement taken from the balance-sheets of the societies through New Zealand, the total assets at. September 1, 1938, amounted to £737,713, including the assets of the National War Funds Council:" . ■■ ' • • ■ '■':■

Other matters dealt with in the report include immigration, which is advocated by the association, and the Anzac Commemoration Fund, which was started with over £8000 from the sale of Anzac stamps, and,which is to be utilised to assist ex-servicemen, including those, who served in the Mercantile Marine. i

"The administrators of the fund are the Dominion executive committee," '■■ the report states, "but an Anzac" Commemoration Fund Committee, consisting of Messrs. D.. G. Munro, G. A. Hayderi (both of the Dominion executive committee) and Mr.J. ,D. Harper, the Dominion honorary treasurer, exoffieio, handles all the cases and submits a report to each meeting of the Dominion executive committee. To date twenty-seven cases have been' assisted. "The committee reports that the. objects of this fund were discovered to be identical with those of the Compassionate Grant Fund set up in 1928 by the N.Z.E.F. Canteen and Regimental Funds Trust Board; and_ when the trustees were advised of tins they decided to close clown the Compassionate Grant Fund. Before doing so, they called the general secretary to their annual meeting in February, 1937. and after explaining the position, aecided to donate to the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, to supplement the Anzac Commemoration Fund, the sum of £165 2s lid, being the difference between the amount actually expended from th-? Compassionate i Grant Fund and £750. The reason 1 was that they did not desire to appear abrupt in closing down their fund. The Dominion, executive committee con-veyed-its thanks and appreciation to the trustees of the Canteen Funds Board."

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