CARE OF EX-SOLDIERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20599, 25 June 1930, Page 9

CARE OF EX-SOLDIERS.

DISTRESS DUE TO WAR.

A PLEA FOR RECOGNITION.

ADDRESS BY MR. COATES

[ET TELEGHAPE. —OWN COHBESPOSISST.] WELLINGTON, Taesda?.

Public recognition of returned soldiers who are new suffering distress as a result of the -war was invoked by die Eight Hon. J. G. Coates at the annual meeting cf the New Zealand Beturned Soldiers' Association to-day. Mr. Coates. dwelt oa the fact that neither the Minister, the department nor the Appeal Board would deal with these cases.

"I caa assure yon that very serious work lies ahead of the association," said air. Coates, "and I can assure you thai its duties will he arduous. I wish to congratulate the association ..on its work and sincerely trust that it'wiU gather strength and will be more faithral, if that is possible, in the future than it has been in the past. "Dunng my absence from arduous administrative duties I have had the opportunity of coming into personal cGptacfr with many of the cases for which, apparently, no provision is made oncer eristic g legislation." The principal hurdle that it seemed necessary to overcome was the case of atuibatahiliiy. It was essential that a very much closer link between the department and the association should be maintained New Zyxlanij had undertaken to iairly Creat the returned men. '

There were men who had come back frGm the front without ordinary injuries, but who were now useless mentally and physically. It was only a matter of clear explanation and tha public would recognise that it owed something to those men. It had been one long tussle cm the part' of the Auckland Association, and, in soma cases on the part of headquarters in Wellington, to try to get recognition. The present Appeal Board was the finest that had ever been, but it did not reach cut to cases where atmhatabiixty could not be certified to by a doctor. There was nothing political in the matter. It was a dnty to explain to the public that there was great work As the years went by that duty would he ever greater. It was for the public to sae today that the cases cf men in distresa should have sympathetic and complete investi Eration.

POPPY DAY APPEAL. [BT XETEG2APS. —S-SXSS ASSOCIATION.} VTF.T.T, j_N GTG3", Tuesday. Fears for the commercialisation of Poppy Day at the cost of public favour wera expressed by Mr. J. S. Skinner, of Dunedin. as, the annual meeting to-day e£ th® New Zealand Returned Soldiers'' Association. "While it is gratifying to see the returns from Poppy Day," said Mr. Skinner, '"the commercialisation of Poppy Day might, be carried too far. There ,ir« some features about the cammendalisatiGn of the day that are not going to nrnsnca the reputation of the association, gf must not be organised on such a basis that we will find the public turning round and saying it is a commercial venture* There is, after all, something mora in Poppy Day than selling poppies am? collecting money. I would like to sound tins word of warning" A considerable increase is shown in annual report of the association in the number of poppies sold in 1229, compared with the previous Year. The figures for 1323 are 197,494 and for 122S 175,230. r GfBGWYS 0? ASSOCIATION. 0 WORLD MOVEMENT REFLECTED. [BY TELEG3LAPH.—OWN CGBSEHPOXDEST. J wEI iT.TXGTUJ?. TnamiaT. The New Zealand Returned Soldiers* Association is gaining in strength, according to the report of the association presented at the annual meeting to-day. " Interest in ex-service associations throughout the world seams to he growing," "states the reptjrt. " The des:re of ex-soldiers, almost veterans now, ta sieat their old comrades and to recall the happenings of other days, is one of the mam seasons fear this interest, plus the old, wonderful spirit of rendering nssisianca to those less fortunate than others.'*