Empire Veterans’ Association.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVIII, Issue XXI, 24 May 1902, Page 1044

Empire Veterans’ Association.

COMMITTEE MEETING AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE. A VETERANS’ HOME. A committee meeting of the Empire Veterans’ Association was neld at Government House, Auckland, on Wednesday afternoon. His Excellency the Governor occupied the chair, and about twenty members were present. Mr Culpan, the secretary, read a letter forwarded by him to the Minister for Defence, expressing the desire of the veterans to be enrolled as a protective corps in ease of danger. He pointed out that there were about 100 able-bodied veterans capable of doing duty as city guards, and about the Same number in the country. In answer to the president, Mr Culpan said no reply had yet been received. The secretary of the Dunedin Association wrote introducing a member who had come up for his health. The president said it would be a good idea if the associations throughout the colony had an honorary membership, or some means by which one association could show courtesies to members of other associations visiting the district. The secretary reported that the credit balance was £lO 17/3. The committee organising the entertainment in the Foresters’ Hall reported a credit of 13/, and on the suggestion of Mr W. H. Churton it was decided to keep that amount separate as the nucleus of an entertainment fund.

Regarding the matter of the part to be taken by the veterans in the Coronation celebrations, Captain Archer suggested that a sub-committee should submit proposals to a special general meeting on June 18. Mr Churton said •that Canon Nelson had invited the veterans to St. Paul’s Church, and had reserved <lOO seats for them. His Excellency thought June 18 too late a date to leave the matter to. He hoped they would turn out strongly, and the sooner they got to work the better. After discussion it was agreed that there should be a parade of veterans on Coronation Day, and that a sub-committee should draw up a programme and present it to a meeting on Wednesday, 28th inst.

The president then read a letter received from Sir George Chubb, secretary to the Incorporated Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Help Society, explaining that the object of the association was the provision of additional soldiers’ and sailors'’ homes in various parts of the Empire, and though no provision had been made for New Zealand, there was no reason why, if anything of the kind were needed, the society should not assist the colony. His Excellency said he would like to point out that there was a very large number of old soldiers in New Zealand who absolutely declined to go into the benevolent institutions of the country. They lived—and he bad been in their abodes, so he was speaking from observation.—in a poor, wretched condition in many cases. They were old soldiers who had done good service for England, and he believed that if a home were built there could be found, without the least difficulty, forty veterans ready to go into it, and that number could be kept up. In New Zealand there were, roughly speaking-, some 7000 old Imperial veterans. By “old” he meant to refer to the er«d of the Maori war. He had gone into the figures with Captain Daveney—than whom there was no better authority in the colony—and he (His Excellency) was not of opinion that the number had been over-estimated. There was a like number of veterans—very young veterans, he admitted, and perhaps he bad better say a like number of young soldiers —who would return from South Africa. Perhaps it would bo said, “We have only sent 6200 men to South Africa. How can we have 7000?” But he would remind them that not a single steamer had gone away without taking some men in addition to the number in the contingent, and these had joined other corps in South Africa. He had already had applications from some of these returned men in distress. One application he had before him was in respect of a man who was absolutely incapacitated through the loss of a limb. It must he remembered that

the Government had made no provision for these men, who, though New Zealanders, were not members of a New Zealand contingent. It seemed to His Excellency that by having a home they could ensure that a lot of those men who had fought for their country would have a little more pleasure in the decline of life than could be ensured in the benevolent institutions of the colony. (Applause.) In this colony there were unfortunately no hospitals or homes for incurables, and the poor old soldiers had to go into homes and live in contact with persons who in some eases were virtually dying. It must be a very unhappy existence for the old fellows. Then, again, they had very little liberty, and one of the most important things, in his opinion, was that the poor old married couples were very often separated, and he could not see why arrangements could not be made for the veteran and his old wife to pass the days of their eld age together. (Hear, hear.) He knew of many who were living in the utmost distress, and except for the old age pension were being kept together by the kindness of others. They would not go into a home simply because they declined to be separated. The question for the association to consider was whether they would buck him up in an application he had sent to England for the establishment of a home in either the Auckland or Taranaki dis-

trict. lie. mentioned those two provinces because they contained the greatest number of old soldiers, but the home would be for the whole of New Zealand. The home should, he thought, be made to accommodate at least forty men, which was the most economical number to work upon. It was the number, he believed, would best suit the needs of this colony. The home he would lik® would be one that would be in a. true sense a "home,” with perfect liberty for the inmates within reason; that it should be managed by a committee of officers, or men of the army and navy, retired, and that, it should be run in every way with a view of making the final days of the old people comfortable ant pleasant, and that there should be no suggestion of “charity” in the management. (Applause.) He had considered it well to put these matters before the association. He had written to the president of the society—Her Royal Highness the Princess Christian—and also to the Prince of Wales, telling him what had been done, as he took such a deep interest in the veterans in New Zealand. He had also written to the secretary, putting forward his views on the subject, and making an application for the establishment of a home in New Zealand. He (His Excellency) had on his own books the names of 700 old Imperial veterans, and they had between them some 953 medals. When it was considered that in this colony there were >so many, with nothing special being done for them, that there was no institution of any sort for them, he thought it would be well for the Veterans’ Association to support him and help in organising any movement of such a nature as the establishment of a permanent home. He thought it would be a splendid memorial to those who had fallen in the South African war.

Captain J. B. Daveney said it was impossible for those who had listened to His Excellency to fail to see how deep an interest he took in the matter. He proposed, “That the Auckland Veterans’ Association considers the establishment of a home for soldiers and sailors most necessary, and thoroughly endorses His Excellency's application to the Incorporated Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Help Society, which it hopes will be granted, and, if granted, this association will render every assistance to make the movement a success.”

Commander Archer seconded, and the motion was unanimously adopted. Captain Daveney brought up a matter on which he considered grave injustice was being done, namely, the difference in the treatment between the old age pensioner of the colony and those who happened to be old age pensioners as well as Imperial pensioners at the Costley Home. He was informed that the old age civil pensioner at the Costley Home as-

signed bis pension of 7/ per week to the authorities of the home, and 1/ to 2/ was returned to him for his own use. The Imperial soldier, if an old age pensioner, at 9d per diem, a reward gi anted to him by th* Imperial Government for services rendered to the Empire in a campaign, was charged the sum of 10/ per week, with no rebate. He thought that very unjust, and an old Imperial pensioner had that day left the Costley Home rather than submit to the demand. Captain Daveney pointed out that an English pensioner in a workhouse was charged the actual cost of living, some □/, he understood, and in New Zealand he believed it was about 6/9. The old soldiers did not grumble at giving up the whole of their pensions, but they did object to being treated differently from civil pensioners. His Excellency said he thought the simplest way of dealing with the matter was for the press to take notice of the matter, and let public opinion give the answer. He thought an inquiry should be made into the matter at once. On the motion of Mr. C. B. King, the Hon. T. Thompson, the Hon. Major B. Harris, Commander Archer, and Captain B. J. Daveney, were appointed a committee to investigate the matter, and confer with the Charitable Aid Board on the question. His Excellency said he would be very pleased to hear the committee’s report on the question. On the motion of Mr Levy, the committee passed a vote of thanks to thos'e assisting in the concert at the Foresters’ Hall.

The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to His Excellency for presiding’.