RETURNED SOLDIERS’ ASSOCIATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20415, 23 May 1928, Page 4

RETURNED SOLDIERS’ ASSOCIATION.

MEETING OF EXECUTIVE. The fortnightly meeting of the Executive Committee of the Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Association was held last evening, there being present: Messrs H- L. Paterson (in the chair), W. F. Forrester, A. M'Hutchon. A. J. Gordon, R. Holt, A. C. Laing, A. G. Lceden, R. Fullarton, T. R. Weddell, P. S. Andersfti, J. fe. Sjkinner, H. H. Walker, and J. M. White (secretary). . _ Tr With regard to General Sir lan Hamilton's donation to the association of the two volumes of his diary of the Gallipoli campaign, the President moved that suitable acknowledgment of the, gift should be made. After some discuss.on it was decided that a letter under the hands ot the president and secretary expressing the deep appreciation of the executive tor his handsome donation be sent to Sir lan Hamilton. . ~ An invitation was received from tnc South African War Veterans’ Association to attend the Peace Day celebrations at the Oval on Sunday, June 3. —It was uecided to accept the invitation, and also to call on members of the Returned Soldiers’ Association to acotnpany the executive members to the service. In the matter of the appeal made ior in providing a radio set for the patients at the Pleasant Valley Sanatorium, it was decided that the executive make a donation of two guineas towards the fund. , , .. . , When the question of the rem.ts to be placed before the forthcoming conference at Wellington by the Dunedin Association’s delegates came up for discussion it was decided that the delegates be instructed not to oppose any proposal put forward to use the canteen funds for the relief of unemployment. ■ . . The following remits to be presented at the conference were approved: — That in the opinion of this conference many Imperial ex-servicemen are suffering serious injustice in respect of pension and treatment for war disabilities which have developed or recurred more than seven years after their discharge from the f °That representations be made to the Imperial Government asking for the removal of the provision in the royal warrant stipulating that a claim for pension must be made within seven years of the' soldiers’ discharge from the forces. That in view of the large number of Imperial ex-servicemen now residing in New Zealand, this conference urges upon the New Zealand Government the immediate necessity of entering into a reciprocal agreement with the Imperial Government whereby the claims of such Imperial ex-servicemen for pensions and treatment may be investigated and decided by the New Zealand War Pensions Board, and, if necessary, the Appeal Board. That this conferences again urges on the War Pensions Board the necessity of a more generous administration of the economic pension. In many cases where men are receiving an economic pension and obtain only casual employment, hardship results when the pension is reduced by the deduction of the total amount of wages earned. That headquarters be requested to secure legal advice as to the possibility of preventing the use of the R.S.A. certificate appearing on the first page of the Herbert Scanlon publications being sold throughout New Zealand, and purported to be sold for the benefit of exservicemen, and that, if necessary, every possible means of publicity of the true facts regarding the association’s attitude in regard to this, and any similar publications, be availed of. It was decided that the next meeting be held on June 5, when the question of a halfway house for the treatment of war neurosis would be discussed.