DISCHARGED SOLDIERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21542, 14 January 1932, Page 2

DISCHARGED SOLDIERS

RE-ESTABLISHMENT ACT LOCAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE. The Local Advisory Committee under ‘ the Discharged Soldiers’ Re-establishment , Act held a meeting yesterday afternoon. J There were present Messrs E. J. Anderson (chairman), G. A. Fortune, J. Taylor, B. Ellis, and A. J. Gordon. _ ; A letter was received from Invercargill 'regarding the appointment of Mr S. Morrell Maealister as a representative of tne Returned Soldiers’ Association on- the local sub-committee in that city in place of Mr S. M’Dougall, who was acting in a | temporary capacity on the committee. Mr Fortune real a reply to a letter which had been sent to the commissioner of pensions in respect to the tapering-off of economic pensions where pensioners had found work. The position now was that the tapering off of these would be subject to the recommendations of the local advisory committees to the Pensions .1 Board.

Letters were received from the directorgeneral of agriculture and from the commissioner of Crown Lands (Wellington) offering the assistance of any of the department’s officers where their services might be required in placing pensioners on small holdings. The secretary reported that up to the present time 182 applications had been received and filed, covering 43 trades and occupations; 29 had requested assistance , under the Discharged Soldiers’ Act; fouif applications had been received for financial assistance to enter business, and 19 had applied for vocational training in 10 different trades and occupations. Up to the present time a considerable amount of work had been done in compiling records of applicants.. This work would be completed within the next few days. It was the committee’s intention to launch a publicity campaign at an early date with the, object of bringing before the notice of employers and the public generally the situation as regards the economic pensioner. An endeavour would be made-, wherever possible to place these men in suitable employment where they would be enabled to use their earning ability to the* best advantage. Circulars in connection with the campaign were being prepared, and would be posted to all employers of labour, while a broadcast talk would be given by Mr E. J. Anderson: from 4YA at an early date. Members of the committee were also making arrangements to pieet local- bodies in Dunedin with a view to placing before them the aims of the local advisory committee. The secretary reported that he had visited the Moa Seed Farm at Dumbarton to ascertain the prospects of inducing suitable pensioners tA take up this form of occupation. Messrs Barron and Dance had placed all the information in their possession at his disposal and had con- : ducted him over the farm. The secretary stated that this means of making a liveli- ■ hood, while suitable for certain types of pensioners, was at present restricted owing to the competition from seed produced in foreign countries which entered New Zealand free of duty. Mj Anderson stated that Central Otago had both the soil and the climate necessary to produce first-class seeds, but in view of the report of the secretary it appeared that the local committee could- , not entertain he proposal until such time , ‘ as sufficient finance was available and protection could be afforded growers-. It was resolved to_ make further inquiries into the possibilities of seed-grow-ing as a suitable occupation for disabled soldiers.

A number of cases of pensioners desiring financial assistance to enable them to take up small holdings, farming, glasshouse work, poultry, and bee-keeping was dealt with.

With respect to the functioning of economic pensions, 'it was resolved that Mr Fortune (Registrar of Pensions) should write to the Commissioner of Pensions (Wellington) suggesting that the War Pensions Board should co-operate with local advisory committees in the assessing of economic pensions.