EX-SOLDIERS' NEED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22117, 24 May 1935, Page 12

EX-SOLDIERS' NEED

SUPPLY OF COMFORTS COMPLAINT IN AUCKLAND PLIGHT OF MENTAL CASES * BETTER TREATMENT IN SOUTH 0 Information contained in the annual report of the New Zealand branch of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St. John, for the year ended December 31 last, lends emphasis to the complaint 'recently made by the Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association that it has been unable to obtain grants for supplying comforts to the ex-sold;ers in the Auckland Mental Hospital and the Public Hospital, whereas grants are made in the Southern centres for the extra care of such men. Mr. A. W. M. Ohlson, secretary of the Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association, stated yesterday that when previously commenting on the unfair discrimination shown in this matter he was not in possession of the comparative figures. However, a copy of the annual report of the joint committee of the Red Cross and Order of St. John, which he had now received, supplied many of the details. Mr. Ohlson wa3 mainly concerned with the 230 returned men in the Auckland Mental Hospital, the majority of whom had no pensions and a large number of whom were not visited by relatives able to supply them with a few cigarettes and other comforts. His association was doing what it could in this direction with its slight resources, but it was not nearly enough, and when application was made for a share of the Red Cross funds they were told that extra comforts for men in hospitals were ftot warranted where every medical and nursing attention was afforded. The justice of the Auckland claim was supported by the report of the joint committee, which showed that substantial grants were being made in the other chief cities, as well as in a number of the smaller centres. Payments in the South Taking only the four main centres it is shown that £725 was spent out of the Red Cross funds in providing tobacco, cigarettes, fruit and other comforts for the returned men in several institutions in Wellington. Of this £312 was spent on the 103 returned men in the Porirua Mental Hospital and £293 on 44 men in the Public Hospital, while 16 men in the Mowai Home had £l2O spent on them in this way. Similarly, £350 was available for comforts for 105 returned inen in the Sunn.vside Mental Hospital, near Christchurch, and £59 was provided for 12 men in receipt of pensions in the Christchurch Public Hospital, the Christchurch Returned Soldiers' Association providing comforts for others at its own cost. The Rannerdale Home, in the same city, conducted mainly by a separate committee, has 21 returned men and comforts were provided at a cost of £46. The number of returned men in Seacliff Mental Hospital, near Dunedin, is not given, and it is presumed that it is small, as only £4 9s is recorded as having been spent on comforts out of" the joint committee's funds. These men, however, have been provided with a radio set. There are 18 ex-soldiers in the Dunedin Public Hospital, and comforts for them, exclusive of clothing an 9 transport, cost. £97 last year. The Red Cross Home, at Montecillo, shelters 19 men, on whom £SB was spent on fruit and amusements. Minor amounts were also spent on smaller groups of men in numerous other homes in the Southern districts. » Position in Auckland

The position is somewhat different in Auckland, where, according to officials of the Returned Soldiers' Association, the Auckland War Relief and Patriotic Association, which administers part of the Red Cross fund, has not been so generous in this respect. The 17 men in the Evelyn Firth Home, at Point Resolution, who are mostly in receipt of pensions, are well provided for, and last year £3B was spent on tobacco and cigarettes for them. Ex-soldiers in the Auckland Infirmary and the Veterans' Home had £34 spent on them in comforts, while the 17 men in the T.B. shelters also received gifts. The 230 men in the Mental Hospital, however, were entirely overlooked in the distribution of Red Cross funds, although it is stated in the report that there are a number of exservice men in that institution whose disability is not recognised as being due to their war service. The report of the joint committee was illuminating, said Mr. Ohlson, in that it showed that the policy in other centres was to provide these comforts from the fund. The Auckland representatives of the joint committee were not even consistent, in that they gave consideration to only a few of the men, and the Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association had made every effort to have this attitude changed. The money had been subscribed by the pliblic and there seemed to be no valid reason why it should not be available to the deserving and helpless men in the Mental Hospital. Voluntary Service

One officer of the association remarked that he bad attended many meetings of returned men, including blind and limbless men, and the opinion had frequently been expressed that the mental cases should be the first to be looked after. In the meantime the executive of the Returned Soldiers' Association was doing what it could to supply these men with comforts. Members of the executive visited the institution every Saturday afternoon and distributed a few cigarettes and a small bag of sweets to the men. This was all that the meagre funds would allow, and to make the money go further tobacco was bought in bulk and the members rolled the cigarettes in their spare time at home.