RETURNED SOLDIERS ASSOCIATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18420, 5 December 1921, Page 7

RETURNED SOLDIERS ASSOCIATION.

MEETING OF DISTRICT COMMITTEE.

The quarterly meeting of the Otago District Committee of the Returned Soldiers’ Association was held in the Soldiers’ Club on Friday evening, Mr A. E. Russell (Balclutlia) was in the chair.

Mr J. M. Gillies tendered his resignation as a member of the committee. —The resignation was accepted with regret, and it was decided to thank Mr Gillies for his past services.

M l ' -K- R- Bannerman (Gore) was elected to till the vacancy caused by Mr Gillies’s resignation.—Mr Bannerman took his soat, and was welcomed by the chairman. It was decided to invite applications immediately for the position of district secretary, vice Mr C. R. M’Lean, whose resignation was accepted with regret. The Invercargill Association forwarded particulars in the case of a soldier who had developed T. 8., but whose application for a pension had been refused by the Pensions Board, which maintained that the man’s condition was not attributable to his war service. An appeal had been lodged, but was not uphold by the Pensions Appeal Board, which also took up the attitude that, the T.B. not having developed until more than throe years after the. man’s discharge, it could not be recognised as being due to Jus war service. It was pointed out, however, that two Invercargill doctors, who had been treating the man since his return from the front, were strongly of opinion that his activo service with the N.Z.E.F. was at the least the predisposing cause of his condition, which they said had been developing ever since, but had only now been traced.—The District Committee was of opinion that the principle involved in tile case was an important one, and that the Appeal Board’s decision would bo likely to prejudice the claims for pensions of a number, of soldiers who would yet be found to bo suffering from disabilities directly duo to their war service. It was resolved, on the motion of Messrs Wood and Myers, that the Dominion Executive bo requested to do its utmost to have the decision of the Appeal Board reversed.

Correspondence was received through the Dunedin Association from a soldier settler, who suggested that men settled under the D.S.S. Act should bs allowed to sell their sections seven years after the date of selection instead of 10 years, as at present. He said it was neither fair nor rignt to expect a man to spend the best years of his life on a section that would hardly pay its way. —Tho Secretary read a telegram- from headquarters which stated-that a similar remit had not been proceeded with in . 1920 os the principle was considered antagonistic to the association’s policy, Which was to get men settled. Ho also read a report from the District Lands Committee, which was of opinion that tho proposal was oub the R.S.A. could not consistently advocate.—lt was resolved that no action be taken in tho matter.

The General Secretary forwarded a memorandum prepared by Dr E. Boxer, 0.M.G., dealing with soldier problems in tile event of another war. The suggestion was that the memorandum should bo presented to the Government as an expression of opinion on war problems as viewed from the ex-soldiers’ standpoint, and the various district committees have been asked to give it consideration.—The memorandum was feceived, and ho afition was taken. It was decided , that proposals ' forwarded by headquarters regarding the manner in which the association badge might ho used for advertising returned soldiers in business be referred to local associations' for their comments. . '

Tho General Secretary forwarded the lepOrt of a sub-committeOj < which recommended that “The War Legislation and Stetitto Law Amendment Act, 1918,” shouldba amended by the addition of a clause which would permit, civilians to recover possession of dwellings tenanted by returned soldiers, whore it could bo shown that possession by the tenant was contrary to equity or good conscience or inflicted undue hardship on the owner.—lt was decided to refer the proposal to local associations for their comments before advising headquarters of the 'District Committee’s attitude.

With reference to a proposal received through headquarters that a booklet should be published containing the history of the N.Z.R.S,A., its accomplishments on behalf of returned men, and its future aims and objects, it was decided to reply that the committee approved of the publication of such a history, but to suggest that, in view of the expense of publishing a booklet, a series of articles embodying the facts should be published in Quick March, the association's official paper. It was decided to recommend tho Dominion Executive to again approach the Government with a request for the special representation of the R.S.A. on all land beards. On the motion of Air Bannerman, it was resolved that the Dominion Executive bo asked to approach the Government with a request for an amnesty for, say, one month' in order to give returned soldiers an opportunity of handing in their automatic pistols and obtaining permission to_ retain them ae souvenirs. The mover pointed out that many men,. through ignorance, had not handed in these weapons. Thev did not realise the seriousness of their offence, and their ignorance had been largely caused through misstatements that returned soldiers wore exempt from tho provisions of the Arms Act.