DISABLED IN THE WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17428, 25 March 1920, Page 5

DISABLED IN THE WAR.

RETURNED MEN'S NEEDS.

I PATRIOTIC ASSISTANCE;" ftS" taenUy disabled Soldiers' Committee of the Auckland Patriotic Association reported at yesterday's, meeting of the executive that the grants made up to March 2 totalled £25,669. - Details given j a an accompanying statement, showed that the total of the loans voted by the- Lands Board in the same period was £23,195. The report added that the committee had taken the course of inviting all limbless men who had not received any grants since June, 1915' 'o make application for assistance under the scheme. After these limbless men had been dealt with the committee would consider tiie matter of specially dealing with other forms of permanent disability. -^ Mr. C. E. Monro said he was glad to hear that the committee intended-taking these other cases in hand. There were numbers of men suffering from nerves who should receive assistance. » e*> r < ■. The president, Mr. J. EL Grinson;"read an extract from the report of the Claims Board, restating the policy of the association—a resume of which was published in yesterday's Herald—and containing the - definition of "permanent disablement," by which the board was guided in its decisions. ' A

Both reports were adopted. The monthly report of the Claims Board stated that 465 cases had been dealt with since February 4, representing a disbursement of £3279. A.feature bad been -?tha relatively -large; number of ; suffering from pulmonary trouble, who had sought further assistance. Some of these cases' were of a severe character, and representations in several cases had been made to have them transferred to suitable institutions. An unusually large number of men -who weje out of work- or suffering no serious war disablement had applied for assistance. The policy of the board inthe majority of-such cases had been to. decline assistance* particularly.where there was 'an ability to' work. If there ' were war disablement' or the ■ applicant ''was suffering in any way as the.result of war service, the, board extended a reasonable degree of assistance. ;" Several of the,cases represented firstapplications. The diminution in, this class of cases was not as considerable as the . board- had expected, but it might be antici- ' pated that in the future the mo'jority of the applicants would be those, to . whoift assistance had been previously . granted, / and who were applying for further help. '(■ It became increasingly clear that the fund would be of incalculable benefit .to many ■; men with : war disability for some years, to i come. ... >, *~- " u;. .'■'. 'jf&'&y. .