DISABLED SOLDIERS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 282, 13 November 1929, Page 5

DISABLED SOLDIERS

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY

EVIDENCE TAKEN IN AUCKLAND.

SCHEME FOR EX-SERVICE FRIENDS’ ASSOCIATION.

Auckland, Nov. 12. The tribunal appointed by the Government to inquire into the position of disabled or partly disabled exsoldiers commenced its Auckland sittings to-day, Mr J. S„ Barton, S.M., presiding. It was d.ecided to call itself the Returned Soldiers’ Rehabilitation Commission.

Captain James Stichbury, commender and secretary of the King’s Empire Veterans’ Association in Auckland, put forward a claim on behalf ot survivors of the old armed constabulary force and military pensioners. The latter received now a pension of £4 Is 8d a month, which, he suggested, should be brought up to £5. Armed constabulary mon received only the old age pension, and it was urged that they should be treated in the same way as military pensioners in recognition of their services in the Maori wars. Their number in the Auckland district he estimated at 40 or 50. •

Major T. P. Halpin, president of the Auckland branch of the South African Veterans’ Association, claimed that men who had served in South Africa had been treated less I’berally than either Maori war veterans or those who served in the Great War. The association asked that the South African pension should bo granted on the same basis as in the case of Maori war soldiers; that the pension should be given before the age »b 65 where there was disability, not necessarily a war disability; that financial assistance should be given to them as workers or as settlers on the lines of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act; and that an economic pension should be granted to those who, by reason of slight disability, could undertake only casual or light work He suggested that employment should be provided for veterans on railways and tramways and by racing clubs and sporting bodies. The probable number of survivors of the South African forces in the Dominion he estimated at 4000 or 4500. COMPREHENSIVE STATEMENT. A comprehensive statement prepared by the committee of the Auckland Returned Soldiers’ Association was submitted by Major-General Sir George Richardson, chairman of the committee. This referred to the serious problem of devising some means of absorbing nearly 400 unemployed partly disabled ex-service men in this district. There were very few ‘rases of partly disabled men who were absolutely unemployable. About 95 per cent could be employed in some capacity ,and the committee considered the majority could be usefully absorbed in light public service jobs. As a result of answers to a questionnaire received-from 1265 ex-soldiers, it was found that 1090 expressed preference for a pensions scheme as distinguished from any institution for aged and indigent ex-service men, and 178 desired the establishment of an institution. As to "fit men,” the committee stated that numbers of ex-service men, partly from their age and partly owing to their service, were to-day unemployed and being unable to perform heavy labour could not be placed by the Labour Department. These cases were deserving of help and in any scheme that might be devised they should be considered Organisations in England, notably the Corps of Commissionaires, primarily formed to provide employment for disabled men only, had subsequently extended their scope to include men past middle age and of good character. The committee then gave an outline of a scheme for the formation of an ex-service friends’ association, to be constituted on the lines of the Corps of Commissionaires in Great Britain and to be controlled by a board of governors, giving their services voluntarily, who would arrange employment for members. An agreement setting forth the conditions of employment, etc., would besigned by a board ot governors, giving their Ser vices voluntarily, who would arrange employment for members. An agree ment setting forth the conditions of employment, etc., would be signed by both employer and man. Wages would be settled according to the nature of the work. A special uniform would bo worn by men holding certain positions, such as caretakers, messengers and other than office duties. The corps would be a civil institution with semi-military organisation. CANTEEN FUNDS. Regarding canteen funds amounting approximately to £200,000, the committee considered that these should be maintained at the present sum and that all interest for the, next ten years at least should be allocated proportionately to various returned soldiers’ associations for the assistance or necessitous cases and other methods of relief. Mr Barton described the statement as an exceedingly valuable contribution to the commission’s investigations. The commission adjourned until tomorrow;