DISABLED SOLDIERS DOWN AND OUT.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18651, 21 August 1930, Page 3

DISABLED SOLDIERS DOWN AND OUT.

GERALDINE R.S.A. MEETING PASSES RESOLUTION.

A stirring appeal on behalf of disabled unemployed ex-servicemen in New Zealand was made by Mr W. E. Leadley, a Dominion vice-president of the New Zealand R.S.A., at a large gathering of members of the Geraldine branch of the R.S.A. on Tuesday night. The speaker reminded his audience of the promises of public and politicians of New Zealand to the men who defended the Empire during the war. A resolution was unanimously passed urging that necessary legislation be put through Parliament to establish a Civil Re-establishment League. The speaker was introduced by Mr W. McClure, president of the Geraldine branch of the R.S.A., who presided. Mr W. E. Leadley said that he was pleased to welcome the Geraldine exservicemen back to the R.S.A. of the Dominion, and he hoped that they would be represented at the annual conference in June next. It was his intention to talk primarily about the Rehabilitation Commission’s report that evening, and to do that it would be wise to sketch briefly the work of the Association since its inception. The history of the R.S.A. in New Zealand was a remarkable one. In the early days of 1917-20. the urgent need of an Association to look after the interests of the returned soldiers, and to assist them in their return to civil life, was generally recognised, and the membership made a rapid jump to 65,000. Gradually, however, the fellows had married and settled down, and feeling that the success of the Association had been sufficient, they dropped out. The success of the Association in having legislation effected had been considerable. The War Pensions Act; Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act; Repatriation Act, which gave advances to train and establish men in business through injury were unable to follow their former occupations; the Dominion Re-Valu-ation Board, and War Pensions Appeal Board, had been the outcome of persistent agitation on the part of the R.S.A., but unfortunately two of the best Acts—the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act and the Repatriation Act—had ceased to operate in 1923 and 1924 —closed down before thousands of ex-servicemen, through the ravages of ill-health and disability, had been able to take advantage of them. In the larger centres it was astounding the number of men that were breaking down in health, but were unable to attribute it directly to war service, owing to the lapse of years. The need for an active R.S.A. was again realised, and membership figures were again mounting. It was as the result of these postwar breakdowns in health that the Government had been approached to set up a commission to inquire into the conditions under which ex-soldiers were living to-day. Mr Wilford, then Minister of Defence, had been very sympathetic. A Commission, consisting of Mr J. Barton, S.M., of Wellington, who acted as chairman. Sir John Luke, representing various War Funds of the Dominion, and Mr S. J. Harrison, Dominion General Secretary of the R.S.A., travelled the length and | breadth of the Dominion, taking evid- i ence from 166 witnesses, representing ] all classes of disabled soldiers, it visit- | ing institutions, considered schemes , for the employment of returned soldiers, and presented its report to the Government this year.

The R.S.A. thoroughly approved of the report—it was one of the most important statements that had been made in the history of the Association. It stated that there were five thousand disabled men, and of these men a big majority were living just about on, but frequently below, the bread and butter line.

“You all know of the promises that were made when the war was on, when men, and still more men, were wanted,” said Mr Leadley. “It was stated by politicians, by the public, by everyone, that no man who made the sacrifice of going away would suffer because he had made that sacrifice. But—. At present there is a state of affairs that we should leave no stone unturned to put right.” One of the first clauses in the Commission’s report urged that old age pensions be made eligible for South African veterans and ex-servicemen at the age of 60, instead of 65 years. This would relieve a great deal of distress —especially among the men who were really too old to go away. He knew of such men, whose health had broken, walking the streets dependent on the charity of their friends for a living. Premature ageing was not recognised as a war disability, but it was one of the greatest of post-war problems, and it would be a splendid thing for these men if they could be eligible for the pension at 60 instead of 65..

There were many anomalies connected with pensions for disabled soldiers’ wives and widows, and the Commission had dealt in an able manner with these. In many cases wives and widows were deprived of their pensions owing to simple technical points. The Commission recommended that, red tape regulations should be abolished, and that only two conditions should count: (1) That the War Pensions Board should be satisfied that the parties were in a reasonable state of health when they were married, and (2) that the parties had a reasonable chance of living together as man and wife. This was only reasonable, and if carried out, would relieve much distress.

The speaker quoted further anomalies in regard to disabled soldiers’ widows, and claimed that the rule that they must be married within two years after discharge, or have been engaged prior to leaving for the front, was a most unreasonable one. The Commission recommended that the time limit should be abolished. There were 20,000 ex-imperial soldiers in the Dominion, and quite a number of these were really up against it. There was no war fund for the relief of these men. who had to apply to the National War Funds Council for relief. These men were now citizens of our country; they fought for our Empire, of which New Zealand is a part; they had done their duty, and now it was our duty lo assist them. The Commission recommended that our Government should get in touch with the Imperial Government to abolish the time limit of seven years for application for war pension.

In addition, there were New Zealanders who had enlisted in other countries—this more especially affected airmen—and now that they had returned to the Dominion, it was only fair that they should be treated on the same lines as the other New Zealand soldiers.

The major recommendation of the Rehabilitation Commission was the setting up of a Soldiers’ Civil Reestablishment League in Wellington, with branches in the larger centres. This would consist of two Government representatives; two representatives of trade and commerce; two representatives of organised labour, and two representatives of the R.S.A.

This League would function on similar lines to the old Rehabilitation Boards, and would study ev£ry case whether physically or economically disabled, to see if it would not be

possible to place the ex-serviceman concerned in a situation where his remaining earning capacity could be utilised. The R.S.A. had waited on the new Minister of Defence (Hon. Mr Cobbe) who had been sympathetic, but who had stated that the Government had to cut its coat to suit its cloth, and were unable to bring down legislation this year. “Because of the present state of finance in the country,” continued the speaker, “the country cannot see its way clear to do justice to the returned men, and to carry out the promises made when the men went away. No question of finance was raised when boatload after boatload of men were shipped to the battlefields of France —if a protest had been made it would have been considered disloyal- but when it came to patching up the war wrecks, the country could not afford it.” The Government had introduced an Unemployment Bill—it set up an Unemployment Board which would supervise a sustenance allowance. This Board would consist of eight men, one of whom was to be appointed to represent the R.S.A. The R.S.A. contended that the disabled soldier was a problem of its own, and they needed someone to handle it who understood the psychology of the “digger”—someone who knew what he had been through. A Select Committee was at present sitting taking evidence on the Unemployment Bill, and it was the hope of the R.S.A. to have an amendment moved setting up a Disabled Soldiers’ Re-establishment Board, to give effect to the Rehabilitation Commission’s report, when the Unemployed Bill goes before the House for its third reading.

The Association still had a useful function to fill. The work of the Association would include the care of the children of the “diggers” who had gone west. It was a phase of the work that the Association should concentrate on for there were hundreds of deceased soldiers’ children who wanted someone to take the place of the father in guiding and helping them in their start in life. Unanimous Resolution. After several questions had been asked and answered, Mr A. A. Readdie moved, and Mr J. B. Stewart seconded, the following resolution, which was carried unanimously:— “That this meeting heartily supports the proposals for the appointof a Soldiers’ Civil Re-establishment Board. It is of opinion that the reestablishment of disabled soldiers is a problem quite distinct from that of general unemployment, and therefore urges the Government to bring down legislation this session to deal with this problem on the lines proposed by the New Zealand returned Soldiers’ Association.”