DISABLED EX-SERVICEMEN

Evening Star, Issue 20320, 31 October 1929, Page 9

DISABLED EX-SERVICEMEN

EVIDENCE BEFORE COMMISSION THE MMFMTMEM' VIEWPOINT Before the Disabled Soldiers' Commission of Inquiry this morning, evidence was heard which throws some light on the relationship existing between the manufacturing employers and partially disabled soldiers. Mr J. S. Barton, S.M., sat as chairman, and with him were Sir John Luke and Mr S. J. Harrison (general secretary of the New Zealand' Returned Soldiers’ Association). ASSISTANCE ASSURED. A statement, prepared on behalf of the Dunedin Manufacturers’ Association, was submitted by Major J. G. Jeffrey and Mr J. Y. Love. The statement read:— “The Dunedin "Manufacturers’ Association considers that from an industrial point of view, the present position in regard to unemployment of employable disabled ex-servicomen may be put down to the following causes—(a) To the industrial depression which has been existent throughout Now Zealand during post war years. (b) To the Repatriation Department being closed down too soon, (cl To no organised effort by the civil population and backed by Government support being made to absorb partially fit men in employment of some kind. There are a number of categories under which the men under consideration must bo classified, but the only one in which’ the Manufacturers’ Association could interest itself as a body is that of partially disabled men fit for continuous light employment. /‘The association considers that, notwithstanding the still existing industrial depression, a number of men might be absorbed into industrial life if: (a) The repatriation scheme were reopened, (b) Amendments were made to the Conciliation and Arbitration Acte permitting of disabled ex-service-men being employed as under-rate workers, notwithstanding their not having been previously apprenticed. Underwork rate, of course, to be decided upon by assessors, and such rate to be brought up to at least the award rate by an economic pension. Such employment would hinge somewhat on as to whether the repatriation scheme were reopened or not. “ Also men could be absorbed into commercial life as telephone attendants, mail and tally clerks, messengers, janitors, commissionaires, liftmen, nightwatchmen, etc. As an incentive or spur to employers to employ disabled exsoryicemen a scheme similar to the ‘ King’s roll ’ scheme existent in Great Britain is worthy of consideration. Undoubtedly influential local committees could do much in helping to find niches for these men. The Dunedin Manufacturers’ Association assures the commission that its members will be entirely sympathetic'to anything which will help to alleviate the present distressing situation.” The Chairman said that that statement had anticipated every point that the commission wished to investigate. Mr Harrison stated that no mention had been made of the nature of the disabilities under which a man suffered. Mr Barton said there was also the fact that there was only one class of disabled soldier in which the association was interested.

Major Jeffery said that his executive would be only too pleased to interest itself in any scheme to employ partially disabled men fit for intermittent light work. In England quit© a number of factories were employing ex-servicemen on piecework. They worked as long as they felt fit day by day. Witness added that the commission could be assured that if its work brought about a big scheme which aimed at solving the industrial problem of the returned soldiers it would receive from the association every sympathy and assistance. The Chairman said they wanted Mew Zealand-made articles made by disabled men, and they wanted to appeal to the common sense of the people rather than to their charity. They desired that the goodwill of the Dunedin people take the place of extensive advertising. To Sir John Luke witness said that many articles could be made in New Zealand without in any way interfering unfairly with ordinary import trade. Mr Love considered that the disabled soldier wanted more sympathetic treatment than he had ever received. In the case of a man who was periodically off work through his disability it would be better to give him a smaller allround wage and pay him for the time he was laid np. FORESTRY AND SEED REARING. Mr D. Tanuock added to his previous evidence by stating that the afforestation work was divided into the following heads:—(l) Work in the nursery, comprising the preparation of the ground, sowing the seed, weeding, lifting, counting the plants, and packing ready for tho plantations. In their own City Corporation nursery they had about six employees engaged on this work, which lasted the whole year round. (2) Work in plantations. This comprised clearing the ground of any growth, pitting (preparing the ground

for the planting of the trees in. the spring), fencing, clearing fire breaks, pruning and thinning, planting. Eleven men were employed regularly in this work, .and during the spring months (the busy planting season) ten extra men were employed. From experience he had > found that a man could plant on an average 1,000 per day. There were 600 trees to the acre, and the cost of these trees per thousand was £1 ss, so that the average cost of planting an acre worked out at about £1 10s. This was allowing 15s for 600 trees, and, allowing for the cost of planting, 15s was quite a liberal estimate. In addition to his previous statement regarding seed farm growing, the proposition was as follows: —(1) A central form for growing stock seeds, and the carrying out of research work,, plantbreeding. and training men. (2) A central factory for store rooms where cleaning and preparation for marketing would be carried out. This need not necessarily be at the seed farm, but could be sited ‘ according to convenience. (3) Seed growing settlements of ten or more acres in suitable districts. (4) Settlers would receive. stock seeds to grow on condition that the crop be returned to the central store for cleaning and marketing. _ (5) Payment would be by results with co-operative cleaning and marketing. (6) There could be several village settlements, and ho suggested that the abandoned orchards in Ripponvale and Fruitlapds, Central Otago, could be used as sites, as well as the area round the central farm. Through having different settlements it womd be possible to provide the various plants with suitable conditions, which would prevent cross fertilisation where this would be a danger. The returning of the seeds grown to the central factory for cleaning and marketing would ensure the standardisation of the output. It would require to be the aim of the. seed-growing organisation to establish a reputation for the seeds, and the central organisation could ensure that only the best seeds were marketed. In addition to the seed growing very satisfactory business could be worked up in growing various bulbs for sale, such as tulips, hyacinths, amemones, ranuncula, and narcissi. There was also a good demand for pedigree seed potatoes, which could also be cultivated.

Mr Tannock then referred to_ the scheme of a village settlement, with a grazing common near the seed-growing area, the idea being that the seed growers would not live on the land on which they were growing their seed, but would have dwellings at some handy locality where a village could be established and where each settler could have a Big garden with facilities for keeping bees and poultry and grazing for a cow on the common.

THE POSITION IN SOUTHLAND. Mr H. J. Farrant said ho was secretary of the Southland War Funds Association (incorporated), and had been deputed by that association and by tho Invercargill Returned Soldiers’ Association to give evidence on behalf of both of them. He bad held the position of secretary of the Southland War Funds Association for the past eleven years. During the whole of that period he had been actively and almost exclusively engaged in work that included the study of problems presented by returned soldiers. So far as he was able to ascertain after a careful search of tho files of returned soldiers kept at the office of the Southland War Funds Association, there were 174 men who came within the scope of the commission’s reference. Every one of these 174 men had been known to him by personal interview or letter, and nearly all by personal interview. Ho had learned to know these men in relation to their difficulties of living, and could testify accordingly in verification of statements made by them. Most of them were more or less .unemployed. Many, by reason of their war disabilities, were seriously handicapped in the open labour market. Of these a number were in receipt of economic pension allowance, which allowance was affected by tho amount of their casual earnings.

The total incomes of most of these men, including earnings, pensions, economic pensions, and family pension allowances, was not sufficient to adequately maintain themselves and their dependents. The amount of military pension paid to _ a partially disabled man, whose disability was scheduled at less than 50 per cent., did not compensate that man for loss of earning opportunity, though it might be sufficient to meet his loss of earning power. If earning opportunity could be provided for those men their wages, plus their pensions, would in most cases suffice for their ordinary needs. The man whoso disability was scheduled at 50 per cent, or over 50 per cent, wfig provided for by reason of the fact that if he was in remunerative employment his wages, plus his pension, provided for his ordinary needs, and if ho was not in employment he was entitled to an economic pension allowance in addition to his pension, which the two combined provided for his ordinary needs. In both these classes the wives and families of these men were or were not provided for similarly to the men themselves. This applied only to those who were married within’ the two years’ limit, or jvho could prove to the satisfaction of the Commissioner of Pensions their pre-w’ar engagement of marriage. Disabled married men unemployed or in casual employment only, who were not_ married within the prescribed period, and who could not show proof of pre-war engagement, were not adequately provided for by pension, plu» ■wages.

The function of the Southland War Funds Association was tho management of the patriotic funds, the dispensing of them to returned soldiers and dependents in necessitous circumstances. His principal duties as secretary of the association were granting interviews _ and receiving statements from applicants for assistance, verifying such statements, and preparing the claims clearly and concisely for his committee. In addition to these, his principal duties, he was expected to do everything he possibly could for returned men or dependents. Those duties w'ero complex and manifold. In carrying them out he had been enabled to form a reliable estimate of the characters and capabilities of the men coming under his notice. Witness then outlined the characteristic features of six typical cases which had come under his notice.