UNEMPLOYED EX-SERVICEMEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22630, 23 July 1935, Page 14

UNEMPLOYED EX-SERVICEMEN

A GROWING PROBLEM WORK OF INTERESTED BODIES The R.S.A. social hall was not large enough to accommodate the large number of unemployed returned soldiers who gathered last evening to hear the views put forward by several speakers, representing the various bodies working for the relief of distress among cx-scrvicc-mcn in the city and the Dominion. Mr A. S. Falconer occupied the chair. Explaining the purpose of the meeting, the chairman said he wished to convey some idea of what the executive of the association, assisted by other bodies in the town, was doing to alleviate distress among the unemployed ex-service-men, not only as regards immediate relief, but also in an endeavour to pui the men in permanent positions. The funds under the control of the association, he said, were very limited and they could be used only to the btist advantage possible. The Chamber of Commerce was behind a drive, which would shortly take place, to encourage employers to use ex-servicemen wherever possible, and they had to express appreciation to the employers for what they had already done. It was realised, however, that there must be many jobs available in the community for returned soldiers There had been criticisms of the work being done by the Returned Soldiers’ Association, but be would like to say that it was doing all that was humanly possible with the limited funds at its disposal. At the annual conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association unemployment matters received earnest consideration by the special subcommittee set up, and the matter was also fully dealt with by the whole conference. That conference considered that the time was ripe for a change of policy in dealing with the problem of unemployment In the Dominion, The speaker then read several decisions that it had urged upon the Government. - Speaking of the work of the R.S.A. Unemployment Committeo in relieving distress, Mr A. M'Hutchon stated that the executive was restricted by the funds at its disposal, and to provide adequately for all was an impossible task. The association not only represented Dunedin but the whole of Otago, There were approximately 1200 unemployed exservicemen in the province, 100 of whom were in Dunedin. During the early years of the R.S.A. its activities had been confined to the task of looking after the men who had been impaired in health by war service and were without an income. Poppy Day funds had been used to this end and also to give assistance to men suffering from some disability, who could not claim a pension or could not attribute their disability to war service, and who were physically unfit for work. With the introduction of the No. 5 scheme another problem had been created and there had been a marked increase in applications for relief by physically' fit men. During 1934 the sum of £3460 had been spent by the comnlittee in relief, and in 1935 the expenditure had been £3809. Mr M'Hutchon explained the measures of relief granted and stated that the case of every married man was dealt with on its merits. The committee met every Monday and written applications for assistance were required. An applicant was at liberty to appear before the committee to state his case. The average benefit to each man, approximately £3 17s Od, was available, and when from this there was deducted the value of the Christmas parcel only £2 was available for each man per annum for relief, This assistance was only in the nature of a palliative and could never adequately deal with the situation. Mr H. L. Paterson, representing the Otago Patriotic Society, stated that while they did not, perhaps, agree in every detail with the administration of the society, they had to admit that the benefits derived by returned soldiers from the society’s funds had been very considerable. Many similar societies throughout New Zealand had dissipated their funds by a’general distribution to the local ex-servicemen and were now practically defunct. His own society, however, still actively operated and all cases of sickness were dealt with weekly. The present unemployment difficulties were recognised by the executive of the society, and at the last annual meeting it was agreed that even greater assistance would have to be given in the future. , No matter what amount had been expended in the past, many men having received sums totalling £3OO, each case was still being treated on its merits, and no cognisance was taken of past help. It had also been suggested that an actuarial statement should be prepared to show how much could be spent annually in order to expend the whole of the funds of £40,000 in 10 years. The result was now being awaited with interest. The speaker challenged any man present to state a case where a person being sick, or having sickness in his house, had been refused assistance. One matter, however, did perturb the society. When a man was totally incapacitated by sickness, either in ms own homo or in hospital, the sustenance of his family was undertaken by the Hospital Board by way of goods and rent. No cash was given. If the society wished to help by giving a small weekly grant that sum was deducted by the board from its grant. That was not considered to be fair or reasonable, as the little extra assistance was a recognition of special services rendered by the man ti his country. As regards the present arrangements between the committees working in the interests of returned men, the Red Cross Society cared for sick ex-servicemen, in hospital or in Moutecillo, the Patriotic Society provided for the families of men in whose homes sickness existed, and the Returned Soldiers’ Association provided wprk for lit men who, through unemployment, were in need of assistance.

Brigadier-general J. E. Stewart, a member of the Canteen and Regimental Trust Fund Board, said that the Canteen Fund was started in 1020 with a capital of £145,000, and it had been agreed that that fund was to be the “ last ditch,” the only reservation being that £IO,OOO should be set aside for war histories. It had been laid down that the board would not deal with the individual except through the Returned Soldiers’ Associations. In 1932 the peak had been reached, when the fund had amounted to £210,000, but it had decreased in the last four years by £29,072, and at present it stood at about £179,000. Medical men had calculated that the greatest pull on the board’s funds would come in 1042, but unfortunately it had arrived 10 years earlier. It was worthy of note that the administrative cost of the board had been only £2250 since the inauguration of the fund—an amount of Is 6d per £IOO. The board had conserved its funds as much as possible, and it had no regrets regarding its trusteeship, but owing to circumstances beyond humau control the amount had been depleted in a manner that had not been thought possible. Mr E. J. Andersou, chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Soldiers’ Civil Re-cstablishmeut League, said that the war had left its legacy of unemployed meu and had brought a depression in its train. The league had had its origin in Dunedin, where it was now giving employment to 16 men, who were contented with their work. He considered that if the work of rehabilitation and repatriation had been passed over to the committee controlling the wood-

work and leather factories in Dunedin the position of the men would have been better to-day. The league was doing something on those lines throughout New Zealand, but it had been formed 16 years too late. He believed that the time would aome when the league would have control over all the war funds in the Dominion, but he was of the opinion that in the past there had been too much dissipated control of funds raised for tho benefit of returned soldiers The first charge of the league was to the economic pensioner, but it was ready to help the Returned Soldiers’ Association 4n its formidable task—a task that was far greater than the league’s. There was one way in which the problem could be dealt with. If there was a central mouthpiece they would get through better, even if they did not actually solve the problem. The various speakers, at the conclusion of the meeting, answered numerous questions in on endeavour to correct any misapprehensions that might have existed and to gather together any useful suggestions that might be used to tho advantage of the returned men.