RETURNED SOLDIERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18323, 13 August 1921, Page 6

RETURNED SOLDIERS

DISTRICT COMMITTEE MEETING. Tho quarterly meeting of the Otago District Committee of the Now Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association was held last night; present—Dr Harrison (president), Messrs J. D. Forbes (Oamaru), A. Glass and G. F. Myers (Southland). A. E. Russell (Clutha), and J. M’Orao (Dunedin). The committee considered several communications regarding the restriction of immigration, but allowed the matter to stand over, as it is to form tho subject of a report from a special committee to the Dominion Executive. The delegates to the Dominion Executive- were instructed to draw tho executive’s attention to the desirability of securing free raliway passes for disabled soldiers who have to travel daily to and from the city. The matter was raised by the Dunedin Association. Another letter from the Dunedin Association regarding the inadequacy of the pension for one-armed men was referred, to headquarters, with a recommendation that the Dominion Executive should immediately proceed with the reclassification of the schedule. The Secretary read dorrespondenco showing that the remit advocating tho dismissal of civilians in tho civil service who had joined during jtho war, before returned soldiers, had been referred to the Public Service Commissioner. The opinion was expressed tjiat the proposed establishment of an inter-allied memorial day on May 20 would conflict with the recognised observance of Anzac Day, and it was decided to draw the attention of the Dominion Executive to the matter. The Secretary was instructed to make inquiries regarding the conditions of promotion for returned soldiers in the railway service, and to remonstrate with tho Hon. D. 11. Guthrie for ignoring repeated letters dealing, with a certain case. It was also resolved to protest against the dismissal of a returned soldier from tho service whose place had since been filled by an immigrant. • It was decided to refer to headquarters the complaints regarding the stocking of tho Tcviot runs, and to recommend tho Lands Committee’s report, touching the revaluation of soldier settlements, that a' Royal Commission should bo sot up to inquire into the whole position of such settlements. As the law stands there can bo no revaluation until a soldier settler has been at least three years on the land. In reply to a request that the Government should pay the freight on gun carriages, rifles, and equipment required for military funerals in country districts, tho Minister of Defence stated that new regulations had recently been approved which limited the military ceremony to that which was carried out at tho cemetery. The general adoption of motor vehicles had made it impossible to employ horse-drawn gun caniages with escorts without causing serious inconvenience. Further, there were now no permanent troops available for such occasions, and it was impossible to supply gim carriages for country districts.—The President pointed out that the Minister’s letter did not answer the association’s request and it was resolved to write again on the matter. MENTAL PATIENTS.

The much-discusscd question of the admission and treatment of soldier mental cases at Seacliff was introduced by a resolution which was passed by tho Dunedin Association expressing dissatisfaction with the Minister’s last reply, for reasons which were sot out at Icngtlx; denying' the Minister’s statement that records were never kept in the case of soldier patients who were admitted to Seacliff without being properly committed; and adhering to an earlier resolution calling on the Government to erase every record relating to returned soldiers who were unlawfully, admitted to mental hospitals; to refund all pay, pensions, and gratuities stopped from such soldiers in consequence of their admittal, and to take steps to make it impossible for anyone to bo admitted to a mental asylum other than in accordance with tho law. The Minister stated that the matter of stopped pay and pensions had boon referred by him to the authorities concerned. The President stated that at present the Dunedin Association did not know of one man who had not been taken before a magistrate and formally committed, and added that there were only eight members present at the meeting when it was carried. He thought the resolution was discourteous to the Minister, and laboured tho point of irregular committal, seeing that they had been assured that in future no men would bo admitted to an asylum without being brought before a magistrate. He thought the matter should bo dropped. Mr Glass expressed the opinion that the only remaining question was that of the records, of which the association had no px-oof. Other members hold that the association had obtained satisfaction in getting the Government to admit that soldiers had been informally committed and to promise that the procedure would never bo repeated. It was resolved, on the motion of Air Russell, seconded by Mr Glass, that tho correspcmdecco be received.