RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17942, 22 May 1920, Page 7

RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION

MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE.

A meeting of the executive of the local branch of the Returned Soldiers' Association was held last night. The chief business was to draft remits for cona-.deraf.on ut tto annual meeting of the association to be held at Wellington £>n May 29. Mr _\\ . Clarke, vice-president, occupied the chair. The following remits were adopted: That the R.S.A. be represented on all local Land Boards throughout the dominion. That the Minister of Lands be urged' to import fencing and building material, and distribute the same at cost price. That ttie association views with regret the attitude of the Minister of Defence regarding retrospectiev pay, and demands that retrospection of all allowances and pay be made to all soldiers, according to their rank, and so bring about a uniform standard for the whole war period. That the N.Z.R.S.A. reaffirm its demand that Anzac Day (April 25) be declared a statutory close holiday as a day of remembrance of the part taken by New Zealanders in all theatres during the great European war. That the conference strongly urges tnat district secretaries should be supplied by the Lands Department with a list o£ all Government leases falling due within the next three years. That the conference be requested' to coneider the question, of an increase in the amount of pensions and formulate a echem.i to be placedl before the Government if considered advisable. That the attention of the conference be drawn to the unsatisfactory position regarding the recommendations of Land Purchase iioards and to the apparent ineffectiveness of such boards, and that it urges that a concise statement as to the duties and powers of Land Purchase Boards be asked from the Minister of Lands.

That the Government be urged to put the compulsory acquisition clause of the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act into operation.

Dr Harrison andl Messrs J. M'Crae, G. M. Smith " (secretary), J. H. M'Nish, and D. Colquhoun were nominated as delegates to attend the annual conference. A ballot was taken, and Dr Harrison and Messrs Smith and M'Nish were appointed. TUBERCULAR PATIENTS.

Lieutenant H. J. Aekins, a member of the executive of the head association, who is visiting tubercular patients at the various centres, and is .also oollecting information relating to the treatment of such patients, briefly addressed the executive on certain aspects of the treatment. He also referred to the inadequate amount paid in pensions to these patients. Dr Harrison said that the Dunedin branch had practically decidled to bring up the matter of pensions to tubercular soldiers at tho conference to be held in Wellington. The.id'-'s-cussion would no doubt open up a wide field. He had made arrangements to meet Dr Lyth for the purpose of obtaining as much information as -possible regarding the treatment of tubercular pa'ients and tho pensions which ho thought should bo paid to them.