SOLDIER TO CIVILIAN.

Northern Advocate, 15 December 1920, Page 6

SOLDIER TO CIVILIAN.

SOME OF THE PROBLEMS

R.S.A. ACTIVITY

Advice has been received by the Whangarei R.S.A. concerning the pro visions made to deal with recurrences of illness or need for treatment owing to such matters as the reopening of a wound muscular rheumatism, neurasthenia, pneumonia, or any other ailment which renders them unfit to follow their daily avocation, and a^so f° r any otncr disabilities for which the Director General of Medical Services may grant treatment, on consideration of each individual case. In all such cases the Defence Department will provide for such medical treatment as may be necessary . WELCOME L.OAN INCREASE The regulations governing the loan under the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act, for the'purpose of erecting a house for residential purposes on a town property (at present £750) are now being amended in order to provide f or the sum being increased to £900. THE ASSOCIATIONS' LAND POLICY Local secretaries hav e been directed to ascertain full particulars concerning the numbers of men in their district desirous of obtaining land, the class and locality of land they require and th e amount of experience they have had in the line of farming they wish to adopt. PRIVILEGE RAILWAY TICKETS The Defence Department has issued a notification that arrangements have been completed with the Railway Deparmcnt, whereby the period of availability for four weeks' privilege rail tickets is extended to 28th February, 1921, in lieu of 30th ins*, as previously fixed, and telegraphic advices accordingly have been' issued t 0 all Group and Area offices etc. This means that four weeks' ticket must to have full availability, be drawn on or prior to 31st January. Tickets already issued for a lesser period of four weeks so as to ex. pir c on 30th November, will be extended to cover four weeks from date of issue of ticket on personal application to any Railway Station-master. Guards on trains are not empowered to extend these tickets. I

Men who have not applied locally to Group Offices for their four f weeks-tickets by the 30th inst., will ( require to make application to the ; Officer-in-Charge, War Accounts and Records, Wellington, after that date. The present provisions in regard ta men undergoing hospital treatment will now apply as from 28thFebru- , ary, viz. those who, owing to health, hav e been unable to travel, may draw their tickets within one month from dat c of discharge from hospital, the necessary medical certificate to support claim for ticket being issui able by the hospital medical officer. , CROWN LANDS AVAILABLE In September, the Minister of Lands was asked to supply to Headquarters of the R.S.A.. —The areas of Crown land suitable for soldier settlement available in each district; the number of sections (for soldiers) these areas could be cut up into and the class of land.? Owing to pressure of work in tfco Department, however, a full report has not been sent, but a return has been provided showing the approximate area of land available in each land district. In Auckland there are 14,548 acre 3 in 105 holdings of dairying country and 28,584 acres in 39 holdings of grazing country. In Hawkes Bay 12,991 acres in 76 farms for dairying and 14,342 acres in 13 farms for grazing, have been provided. For mixed farming propositions the areas ! are as follow:—Taranaki 35,600 acres in 130 holdings, Wellington 14,1 229 acres in 38 holdings, Marlbor-, ough 5,135 acres in 5 holdings, Nelson 79,134 acres in 136 farms, Can-1 terbury 28.002 acres in 40 runs, and in Otago 297,929 acres in 152 holdings, chiefly pastoral. But, until it has been surveyed, subdivided, valued and provision made for roading, the Department states that it is not in a position to bring this land under the notice of soldiers. THE AVERAGE ADVANCE It has been shown that the average advance for stock and improvements made to dat e is £543, for purchase of privately owned land £1633, for purchase of dwellings £669, and the average capital value of settlement sections £2460. Taking into account the average advance for stock and improvements, it will be seen that the "average cost of placing men on Liand fo> - Settlement sections is £3,000. - T AND COMING C'YiT In the summary of estates acquired under th c Land for Settlement Act for returned soldiers which are being * prepared for balloting; North Auckland has two of a total area of 3,044 acres, which will be divided into 13 farms, and which cost £39,200. WHAT THE R.S.A. DOES There ar e a few Diggers who are i not in close touch with the doinga of the U.S.A. who sometimes lightly ask what the Association has done or is doing to justify its existence, the reply is ea.sy. There were about 16,500 men killed in action or who died of sickness at the war, and the R.S.A. - looks after the interests of th e widows, children and dependents, as no other organisation does, or is in a position to do. Since their return to New Zealand, 1159 soldiers have died, and the interests of their dependents have been guarded by th e R.S.A., which also watches very carefully the treatment meted out to the 41,000 wounded men, and the thousands of pensionera.

There is another great problem ahead; that of obtaining justice to the Digger who will break up prematurely owing io Uifc war si rain, the full °* which he has as yet .felt little of. Amongst the ranks in that category will be some of those who refrain from paying 10s per annum towards maintenance of th e Association which will then support them and get fair play for them. The rate of settlement in homes and on farms has not been at lightning speed, but tin- constant effort ol' the R.S.A. has played a big part in keeping it moving. WHAT THE ASSOCIATION HAS DONE

The R.S.A., 'amongst other things, has helped to get the benefits of the D.S.S. Act extended to include widows and nurses; extension of railway privilege tickets; anomalies in gratuity fixed; T.B. patients full pension for 12 months after discharge; members of R.S.A. on Land Purchase Boards; declaration of Anzac Day as a holiday; preference in Government employ for returned soldiers; £50, 000 extra for pensioners; an increase of the grant for stock from £500 to £750; shelter and furniture for T.B. men; widowed mothers' retrospective allowances; and retrospective allowances for wives and children to the extent of £5,000,000. WHAT THE ASSOCIATION HAS TO DO In the future the R.S.A. intends to insist upon a revision of th c pensions schedule r.~.-i "~> all-round increase in pensions; provision for the needy in th e future; a more rapid settling of soldiers on the land; conscientious objectors not regaining civil and political rights; an increase, of the building allowance t 0 £1000; a method, consisdered fit and proper, of disbursing" canteen funds (£BO, 000); and a white New Zealand —• one of the lands for which the N.Z. E.F. fought for.

AUCTIONJKHSS.