“CRACKING UP”

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18466, 3 August 1934, Page 10

“CRACKING UP”

WAR SERVICE EFFECTS PENSIONS AMELIORATIONS O']SCORNL MUM KURD SUPPORT (Parliamentary Keporter.) WELLINGTON. thisday. Strung support- for flu; Lull advanced by Mr. J. A. Lee. member fur Urey Lviiu, which is directed lownrtls an amelioration ot the pensions regulations i:i relation to men with war service who are suffering from the delayed etfeets ol t/liat- ser\ itc. was given >by Mr. D. \\ • Coleman. Labor, member lor Gisborne, when Mr. Lees proposals were being debated in the, House of Hepresentatives on Wednesday.

In his contribution to the debate. Mr. Coleman urged that the promises made to the men who iought tor their country should he honored by the country, a lid especially that war-service effects now making themselves apparent should he taken into consideration in the granting of pensions. "L think the Government can see that so far as the House is concerned it is practically unanimous that something along the lines mentioned by the member for Grey Lynn is necessary and should he enacted,” stated Mr. Coleman. "1 have been connected with the patriotic society, or, as we call il in '(lisborne, the Gisborne Citizens’ T)efenee Committee, ever since the beginning of the war. At the conclusion of the war, when the commit toe was considering what it would do with the funds il- had in hand, we were advised 'by eminent medical men in the district to put a certain amount hy for 15 or 2to years lienee, as it- was then that men would .begin to crack up. as a result of their experiences: bill it would not be possible to attribute, 'their breakdown to their war services. D'LvCiIARGLI) ]•'.! -L “That, -has proved to be. true, and 1 feel (pule certain that every member of the House will agree with that. We all know that to-day men are fast cracking up-, men who put in two, three or four years at the front, who came back and were classed as Jit, but who to-day are feeling the effects of their war service. In many cases, indeed, they are absolutely paralysed. I have in mind the ease of a man who is completely helpless, unable to do anything, hardly able to move about, and yet it. is not possible to attribute his condition to war disability, though, 1 suppose, 90 out of every lOC people would have no doubt in their minds that it is attributable to his war experience.

"1 hold further that the hill should Ire made applicable to the South African War veterans. Personal acquaintances of mine who fought in that war are today disabled. The results of their war experiences are making themselves manifest many years after the war, and I agree with those who have said that a general Invalidity Pension Bill should be introduced, to meet the ease, not only of the. war veterans but- of those who have broken down through their experiences in civil life. APPEAL TO GOVERNMENT *‘l trust that the Govennueut will take heed of what has been said here this afternoon. I think Ministers must have been impressed with the- fact that this bill has the general support of members of this House. If the Government took the matter tip and brought down a measure embodying the proposals contained in this bill, it would hud unanimous support. “As -has already been said, the bill is not a party measure. It affects the interests- of men who have rendered noble service to their country, but now find themselves, because of those very services, unable to look after themselves, their wives and their families. We should cure for them and not say : ‘We are sorry for you. but we cannot say you are suffering from after-war effects. !5o you had better apply; to the charitable aid hoard.’ Men vylio are physical wrecks, men who have wrecked their physique in rendering valiant service to their country, arc now told to apply to tin 1 Charitable Aid Hoard for relief, and it is most obnoxious to them. “Prom 1914 to 1910. we said to these men, ‘We will not forget you, or your wives and- families. A grateful country will never forget you.’ Hut to-day we tell them to go to the charitable aid hoards, and there is nothing they hate worse than that. 1 -do trust, that the Government will take up Hu’s matter and provide fur these men and their dependents. ”