DISABLED SOLDIERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23263, 4 February 1939, Page 18

DISABLED SOLDIERS

Sir, —With regard to the correspondence concerning ex-soldiers and tho hardship and unfairness of the Pensions Administration. It does not seem to be generally realised that war pensions can only be awarded in respect of disabilities that are tho direct outcome of Avar injuries and war experiences.

In most of the cases of hardship quoted the disability relates to two factors: (1) Disabilities that are the direct outcome of the war; (2) economic disability due to the fact that the exsoldier lacks the opportunity to exerciso that degree of capacity that remains. The economic disability largely relates to the fact that lie is unable to obtain the class of work for which he is fitted.

There would seem to be two possible solutions of the latter and principal cause of discontent: (a) A wider application of the nnder-rate workers' permit system. This method lias had wide application in Franco and has been very successful in that it provided the occupation and economic incentive that is so essential in tho treatment of cases of post-war neurosis; (b) the development of tho colony system by the State on tho lines of that followed at Papworth in Great Britain for cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. This latter method might ccynmend itself to a Government that does not seem to be afraid of original thought or of spending money. It would involve the construction of colony units of 50 to 100 families, the building of houses and the organisation of such industries as egg and honey production for export. The Papworth scheme has stood on its own legs from the start and is now a thriving community. A similar scheme for exsoldiers would have the advantage of a subsidy in tho form of pensions already being drawn by tho participants. It would not compete with existing industry and would provide a means whereby a very deserving class of citizen could make whatever contribution he could toward increasing our overseas trade balance. It seems to me that what we need is loss moaning and more constructive effort and criticism. The wisdom of some such scheme should have been apparent long ago. Ex-DIGOEB.