R.S.A.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 10 June 1924, Page 7

R.S.A.

CONFERENCE AT .CHRISTCHURCH. By Telegraph—Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, June 9. The R.S.A. conferdence carried the following resolutions:— That the attention of the Government be again drawn to the fact that there are a large number of disabled soldiers capable of filling positions is clerks, liftmen, caretakers, messengers, crossing keepers, etc., who are unemployed, and that a special endeavour be made by the Government to place all these men in suitable employment, having regard in each case, to the man’s physical condition and his attainments. That the Government be requested to give more attention to the aftercare of T.B. and neurasthenic soldiers, and that more suitable avenues of light employment be opened up for these men. That preference be given to discharged soldiers (whether already settled on land or not), as against civilians, in the letting of grazing lights or the leasing of Crown lands acquired for discharged soldier settlement and not taken up, or laud which had been taken up by discharged soldiers, but has reverted to the Crown. That in mew of the long delays in dealing with applications for loans for building purposes under the State Advances Act, this Association strongly urges the Government again to . put into operation Section 2 of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, making provision' for loans to discharged soldiers for building purposes. MINISTER VISITS CONFERENCE. The Hon. \V. Downie Stewart was a visitor to to-night's sitting of the R.S.A. conference. The chairman of the conference (Mr D. S. Smith), when welcoming the Minister, said the returned soldiers had a sincere affection for him, for it was felt that he was one of themselves ■ —he had suffered physical disability because of the war, and on that account alone he was assured of a welcome by the conference. The returned soldiers had in Mr Stewart a very, sympathetic adjudicator. In reply, the Minister said he felt that he hardly deserved all that had been said, because he did not devoto as much time to the needs of returned men as could be reasonably expected. Neither did lie deserve much credit from the soldiers, for his service was neither long nor meritorious, but in regard to Parliament, he did what he could to understand the problems wbicli faced the country in regard to ex-soldiers. The Conference might find Parliament a slow machine, in that it seemed to take a long time to consider resolutions that had' been sent on to it, but the Government bad a good deal to consider. It bad always found that the Returned Soldiers’ Association had been very reasonable, and had taken a national view of its problems. In fact there had been no cause to complain of unreasonable requests from the Association.