INADEQUATE PENSIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18247, 14 November 1922, Page 7

INADEQUATE PENSIONS.

CASES OF HARDSHIP.

MORE SPECIFIC INSTANCES.

NURSE AND TWO SOLDIERS. Details given yesterday of individual

cases in which the War Pensions Board has seen fit to reduce the pensions of nurses and soldiers who have suffered seriously as a result of war service, go to show that the charge of hardship and injustice made at a recent meeting of the Auckland Patriotic Association is well founded. One of the most pathetic of these cases is that of an Auckland nurso whoso pension was lately reduced from £2 a week to 15s. From the evidence, of well-known citizens there is no doubt whatever that when she joined the Expeditionary Force she was physically fit, a sound and healthy young woman. She saw over three years' service in France, and on one occasion her hospital was bombarded by the Germans, . staff and patients having to evacuate it under fire. Her experiences at the front undermined her constitution to such an extent that on her return to New Zealand she broke down in health and has never been well since. Although in a weak state she has made a valiant effort to resume her occupation, but each time has broken down completely, and was recently admitted to the Auckland Hospital suffering from a serious internal complaint. At present she is m a very weak condition, her case recently being diagnosed as one of neurastheniaand nervous debility as well as of. internal " trouble. Eeport by Two Doctors. In view of her, inability to follow her calling, the case was represented to the Pensions Board for an increase, but the application, was declined on the grounds that the whole of the present disability was riot due to war service. As against " this, the Claims Board has in its possession a recent report from Brs. Stride and Milsom, who, ,after a thorough examination, state they are satisfied : that the. patient's present condition is the direct sequence of the ill-health contracted on active service. f

" She is not fit for any work," continues the report, " and has not been, to our knowledge., for nineteen weeks. Wo do not consider that she will be fit for some considerable time, at least another six months, and possibly longer.". This report will be forwarded to the Pensions Board. It will be interesting to see whether/ in the face of such decisive

expert evidence, the board will still hold to the opinion that 15s a week represents the full measure of the country's gratitude for tho sacrifice of health and. career which.this nurse has made.

Sapper's Brave Struggle. Another' case of specific hardship is that .of a returned soldier who, in, spite of syells. of weakness and ill-health, is making a bravo struggle to establish himself in a small fruit and greengrocery business. This man, formerly a miner by occupation, left New Zealand with the Tunnelling Corps" and has three years' overseas service to his credit. After three months',service in. France he was blown U P »5. r a„mipe explosion and sent to hospital. He returned to the front, and two months later was buried in another 1 mine explosions. After this'he : was more ; or less nnder medical, attention all tha time ha was on active service. In July, 1918, he was sent to hospital suffering from nervous trouble, disordered heart I action, and chronic pulmonary disease Jin November of that year, while iji Brockenhursfc Hospital, ho contracted pneumonic influenza, and finally returned to New Zealand as a stretcher case in January, 1919. After a period in hospital at Featherston he was discharged six, months later, with a pension of £1 a week. He went back to the mines, but soon found he could no longer stand the heavy work. In June of last year hia pension was reduced to 10a a week, and despite medical' evidence to the effect that he> is now suffer'ng 45 per cent, permanent disability, the board has, up to the present, declined to increase this pittance. ""■• »! • 01 Loan. The repatriation office recently advanced him, sufficient money to set himself up in a greerigrocery connection, the doctors having told him to keep as far as possible to an outdoor life, Half of his pension is going toward repayment of this loan. Out of :tbe remaining five shillings .per week, and what remains of his earnings after expenses and the keep of hie horse

have been met, he is paying about 22s 6d in living expenses. "I am not married/ and. am thankful v j for it." he said yesterday. "It is hard enough trying to battle on alone. : The < Patriotio Association has treated mo generously, and seen,,me through some hard times, but a" man; does not like to keep on asking for help in this -way." It was evident that the worry of trying to make ends meet, with sleepless nights and days of hard work* were leaving their mark cut the speaker, who stated that his hearts: trouble had been very pronounced lately.; " These two cases are typical of.others.. The Patriotic Association is rendering generous assistance, but as the secretary stated yesterday, , its aid, was only intended to supplement the Government pen- \ sionß, noW as is.actually the case in some instances,'to represent -double that amount. ;.' Prospect of Adjustment in One Case.

In another of the cases reported to the •'■ Patriotic Association there seems-to be a prospect of a satisfactory conclusion. It is that of a'man who left New Zealand with the first detachment of; the Tunnelling Corps, and in the course of his war experience in France suffered four times from the effects of gas poisoning. The consequences to his physical system have been ailments of the heart, lungs, and nerves. At times he is comparatively healthy and active, but he is never able to work for more than a few weeks together, when a return of his disablement supervenes. Bather oddly, it is generally in the rammer months that he finds him-.* self obliged to cease work and return 1 ,: to hospital. However, thanks to the representations made on his behalf by the Patriotic Association, the Pensions Department has been moved to reconsider the question of restoring his pension, wh.ch was discontinued as from October J, Under instructions received from the department, the ex-soldier submitted himself a few days ago to Drs. Milsom and Murrav for a further examination. Their report has presumably been forwarded to Wellington, "and upon it will whether the senii-invalid >s to TOntonw ; to receive the recognition of the disabUi- .; ties he has incurred while w the service-< of the Empire. T'~, ~. ' , •;■£ *jr^£*