RETURNED SOLDIERS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 220, 4 September 1929, Page 6

RETURNED SOLDIERS

WORK FOR PARTIALLY DISABLED DOINC AWAY WITH ECONOMIC PENSIONS. COALMISSION TO BE SET UP. Wellington, September 3. In the Houso of Representatives to-day, tho Hon. T. AJ. Willord said that as Minister in Charge of var Pensions he desired to thank Mr I'. Waite (Clutha) for his speech on the subject. It was not only helpful to the House, but also helpful to returned soldiers. It was the Government’s intention to try to do away with economic pensions by providing avenues by which men who dyi not receive the whole pension might lieve themselves of the need for the economic pensions and perhaps earn a little more. They would then achieve fresh hope in life as a result of the prospect of being able to do something. The cost of economic pensions to his country was £BO,OOO or £90,000 per year, and this was ioi men who did not suffer total disability, but had to be helped that they might live. It had been urged that a commission should be appointed to deal with this problem, and he was now in a position to announce on behalf of the Government that such a body would be set up, to consist of one magistrate to be appointed by himself (Mr WilfordV and two representatives, one to Ge appointed by the Returned Soldiers’ Association and the Canteen Fund executive, and the other to be appointed by the War Funds Council and the Red Cross.

The commission would be entrusted with the task of endeavouring to find employment for' those partially disabled soldiers receiving economic pensions. As soon as the order of reference ha beeiu agreed upon the commissici would immediately function, and he hoped that this would be achieved in a month's time Funds at present in the hands of the Red Cross, War Funds Council and Canteen Fund would be considered in relation to means of providing employment. He did not wish to create the impression that the commission •vas to be set up to relieve the Government from Its responsibility in this matter. Everytliing saved would be considered in respect to other claims in the way of pensions. PROBLEM OE ATTRIBUTABILITY The present restriction hi respect to the children of the blind men of the forces who were in receipt of incomes from other sources should be removed, and it vras intended to grapple with the problem of attributability. In this respect he believed that many difficulties could be solved by bringing in the family doctor. He had been astonished that 59 per cent, of appeals had been successful when decisions of the War Pensions Board in regard to attributability had been taken to a higher court, but on investigating the matter he had found that the explanation was that in moat cases a good deal of fresh evidence had been'produced. Jt seemed that sufficient care was not always exerted when cases weie brought before the War Pensions Board.