RETURNED SOLDIERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19283, 22 September 1924, Page 10

RETURNED SOLDIERS.

CONIERENCE IN WELLINGTON.

(Pee United Press Association.) WELLINGTON. September 20. The R.S.A. conference decided that no action be taken in regard to the suggestion that it was desirable that the Tvar Pensions Appeal Board should sit in centres other than the four main ones. _ The question of pensioning neurasthenics caused some discussion. In order to minimise the chances of delay it 'was decided to inquire into the possibility of the medical superintendents’ reports being made a fortnight before discharge. The sub-committee’s report on the subject of soldier mental patients, regarding which Colonel MacDonald had made charges, was tabled. Colonel MacDonald’s charges were that soldier mental patients had been unlawfully incarcerated in Seacliff. The committee stated that legality or illegality was not now in question, as the Inspector-general of hospitals admitted that with the qualification that the action taken was in the interests of the men. He used these words: “We know and acknowledge that we committed a technical breach m over-riding the provisions of the Mental Defectives” Act, 1911, for the benefit of the soldiers.” The question now for decision was whether what was done was for the benefit of the soldiers, and the sub-committee was proceeding to investigate the matter. A committee was appointed as a deputation to wait on the Prime Minister regarding the question of the personnel of the South Auckland Re-valuation Board. The Minister for Lands is to be asked to instruct the District Land Registrars to advertise house properties which the soldiers who have built them desire to transfer. The conference resolved that it noted regretfully that the Hon. A. D. M’Leod had nob yet made his promised statement to Parliament regarding the demands of the Returned Association for the re-opening of the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act, and on his allegation that the association did not represent the bulk of the returned soldiers’ opinion. A detailed reply by the Hon. A. D. M’Leod to the association’s resolution concerning land settlement was considered. The Minister intimated that he intends to instruct the Crown Lands commissioners to grant preference to returned men, whether already settled or not in the letting of grazing rights regarding the sub-division of pastoral leases as they fall due, and placing them under offer to landless soldiers. The Minister said that this was already the policy of the department, provided the soldier applicants were suitable, but the land boards had been instructed that when no soldiers applied to allot the section to the most eligible civilian rather than allow the land to lie idle. Regarding re-valuation, Mr M’Leod explained that when the dominion board was unable to reconcile that assessed by the district committees further reports were asked for, and the district committees were asked to review their decision in such cases. Larger reductions than those recommended by the district committees had been made where the circumstances warranted it, and everything possible was being done to expedite the revaluations.