NEW ZEALANDERS IN ENGLAND

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3070, 4 May 1917, Page 7

NEW ZEALANDERS IN ENGLAND

OUR DISABLED SOLDIERS Problem of re-education ?<Froro Captain Malcolm Ross, New •Gealand .War, Correspondent.) !•' t> . February IS. T .During my recent leave in England, •At. tho suggestion of General lliehardjson 1 took the. opportunity of visiting Otoenampton, where there is an institution that is solely engaged in supplying new. limbs to-soldiers who'havo lost a leg, an arm, a foot, or a hand in too war, and I followed that visit by another to the Lord Roberts Memorial i Workshops for disabled soldiers and Bailors at Fulhani. In tho following Brticlo I purpose giving my impressions or both institutions, with a, view.to injterosting thepeoplo of Now. Zealand in » problem that will very soon be onpaging their attention, if it is not ■already doing so. Tho Government, I .-believe, has taken tho matter-in hand, .and no doubt tho question will be inado a State one, but even so tho corporation of individuals will be necessary if tho reeducation 'ot\ tho disabled soldier is to bo.p'iit.on a , "thoroughly, satisfactory basis. Uloehampton ss beautifully situated on tlio outskirts of London, and in the charming, woodclub grounds old buildings hav'o been converted and now buildings 'erected for-.tbe housing of. soldiers wlio /lave lost, one or more limbsj for workshops where artificial, limbs can be .partially made and put together, and whore, also, tlie men themselves can 'be trained in the- process of manufacture and in tho use of : tho limbs when ■ they are fitted. . ' -' ■ . ' ' There are soirio 550. beds in the institution. In the Overseas Ward I found,about sixty patients. And a very cheery lot they, wero. There were re;presentatives from many parts of the Outer Empire, among them eight Now ■Zealanders.. Tlio • Australians had been ftaken to their own hospitals, and come "to Roehampton only to have their now .'limbs fitted. Orib merry New Zea- . lander, who was the life of the ward, pulled his artificial arm from under . 'the bed, and proceeded to litter tho , - quilt Teitb all tno appliances connected .with the new limb,, including a small • vice, and ingenious contrivances for holding a hammqr; a spade, or a book. He had two. artificial arms. "This is ,'not. a, bad arm," ho isaid, addressing the one he bad thrown on tno .bedcover. "You put the 'spadVlu this contrivance, lock it, and then work away for dear life," he.added._ "Ho is not in love with the other' arm," chimed in the Canadian sister who was Bhowirjg us round. She referred to another ami of a different make. The ■wounded soldier, became humorously sarcastic. "How do-you think a man is going to .take a job running about a farm with an arm-like that?" he aflked. "You cannot milk a cow with it, and it's a bit awkward if your best girl comes in on the wrong side of the picture. As , for me; I'm too bashful a man to'ask her to change over." At this sally a ripple of laughter ran through the ward.' What struck , me most .was .the splendid cheerfulness of '-, these one-legged and one-armed men. One noticed- it especially with the colonials.- "They're Jikq that all day," ' B.ajd the, nurse, "they're-the life and' bouT of the place, and trfo duller the day the ; more they, sing." But with the fitting of the artificial lirubs the problem-before the nation is oriy beginning. If the man is to re-

main a. useful unit of tho community he imist work, and the problem of his ro-oducation has to be takou in hand at tho earliest Opportunity. In Ensland, so far,; tho State has [dono nothing. Tho matter has been left entirely to individual effort; but such an excellent start has been made that probably tlfe Stato may not need to come in at all.

The Roberts Memorial Workshops. This very excellent work is being carried on at tho Lord Roberts Memorial Workshops. The institution vas founded after the South African "War, and has now been a going concern for twelve years on a self-supporting basie. Lord Roborts himself took tho keenest interest in the scheme, and at the outbreak of tho present war it was realised by him and by the committee, that if they weroto successfully deal with tlio greatly increased numbers of disabled it would bn necessary to largely extend their original plans." It was decided later to carry on the good work as a memorial to Lord Roberts, and .vliifffo factory-was started iri London. The work began with toy-making as tho main industry; and in this way a twofold purpose was served—employment was secured for tho men maimed by the Germans, and at the same time German trade was captured. By the end of the first year over eighty different kinds of toys were being produced in largo quantities, and a hundred disabled men were employed. Tho output became so lrirgo that tho industry had to bo put! on a commercial basis, aiid .brandies of the workshops woro established in other parts of tho Kingdom. While in London dolls and wooden toys were made, in 'Birmingham nietal toys were _ manufactured, .and'in Bfiidford a printing branch waa established to print catalogued, posters, stationery, etc. Other branches make baskets and brushes, household articles, furniture, and various other things.

A few minutes after I had handed my card in at the JMhanr Wofkd I was welcomed by a. New Zealand girl, Miss Sale, daughter of Iho late Professor Sale, of Duncdin, and . she it was who showed me through tho workrooms. Miss Salo is a clever illustrator, and came originally to the factory to draw designe,' but )u addition to this she is now taking a share of more important work oil the organising side. A tour through the workshops is most interesting. Men from the Army and. Navy are Jic-w making good wages after .having, owing to the. loss of an arm or a leg, 1o learn a now ..trade. In tho doll-making industry the wives andl daughters of some of tho maimed soldiors are also employed. They are able to do tho painting and other work that the men would not care to do; and thus add considerably to tho inebmo of tho disabled soldier. Iri tlio factory men aro both trained and \omploycd continuously. A man niay, however, seek work with an outside firm at any timo ho likes. On tho other hand, ho may stay in tho factory all his life with profit to himself and the institution. Wages are gradually increased until they reach tho standard rate. It is surprising how adept the men with ono arm become at.carpentering and! other work. Tho sailors are much quicker to adapt themselves to. their new environment than the soldiers.'. Jack was ever a handy man. , • ) Miss, Salo jrjfprmc'd mo v.that Die public had been liberal with their donations. .Firms and individuals havo presented machines that can,be used in the shops. People are doing this instead of 'erecting stained glass windows as memorials. Here is an idea for New. Zealand. One comes upon an , automatic lathe, presented by a father and mother'"in memory of their gallant son killed in France." That is ,

indced a sensible memorial, and ono entirely in harmony, with tho times.

In going through tho workrooms ono finds soldiers from many fronts, indicating the far-reaching enterprises of the British in this war. Here, working at an automatic lathe, is a private in the Dorsets, who had his left elbow smashed and his hand rendered useless in Mesopotamia. Ho is now earning 275. weekly, in addition to his (State pension. In another room we meet a man from tlio Navy witli his right hand amputated. Hβ was formerly an engine cleaner. He is now earning 345. a week working a band-saw. He gets his Stato pension as well. There is a corporal from the Riflo Brigade, formerly a farmer, who, with his right arm amputated, is still able- to earn 28s. a week at a circular-saw. A one-handed man from tho Dorsets, formerly a gasfitter's mate, is now employed at a band-saw cutting out educational alphabets. A Hussar, formerly a brickmaker, has had his right foot amputated, but.he earns 275. a week at a toy-makor'Sj assembling bench. An tt.F.A. gunner with a shattered shoulder gets a Stato pension and earns 235. a wccK at tho sanio employment. Ho was formerly a riveter. And so tho tale goes on. Doll-maliing. In tho doll-making industry tho painting is practically all dono by children. Tho composition of which the German dolls woro made was a secret, but the secret was found out in tlio Roberts Memorial Workshops, and tho Gorman doll trade may now bo regarded ,as captured by Britain. Tlio supply is greater than is needed for England, and colonial and foreign markets aro now being tapped with good results. . ■ ■ ■

While it wouM probably bo wasted effort for disabled New Zealanders to tako up such work as doll-making, they might very well bo re-oducatetl in such crafts as carpentering, basketniakiiiK, furniture manufacture, etc. This, I believe, is tho idea of the General Commanding tho Now Zealand troops in ISiiglniid, who is taking n, very keen interest, in tlio matter, and is having a coniprehensivo report mado on the wholo question. All tho reeducating'necessary in so far as Now Zealand soldiers are concerned can no doubt be provided in New Zealand. It is simpy ?. matter of deciding whether it is to Iks left to private enterprise as in England,, or ' to tho State, and of organising ivoll in advanco tho best methods of accomplishing the desir«d end. ' In the words of the, organisers of the Lord Roberts Memorial, wo have to provide not for the present only, but for the wholo future lifo of our brave men. Wo shall have- to take them as they come— lame and halt—from tho battlefield, and moke of them efficient nud capable workmen, not receivers of charity, but valuable, units in our industrial and economic scheme.

't'iio system adopted, ro far as New Zealand is concerned, hero is simple. Every disabled man in "our./otcn is registered, and the information is sont out to Now Zealand, so that authorities there may see afc a glance whether tlio man will bo able to resumo his former employment), thn nature of the employment ho wishes to tako up if ho run not resume his former employment, and the nature of tho employment the medical authorities think he will bo best, suited for. Tliat is all that run ho done at present by Die Command in England. The' Roberts Memorial rjoopln have offered to'take 100 Australians at £50 a head and. train them in their workshops at toy-making, etc., but one sees no reason why our training should not be done in New Zealand. AVn might ■get a. few instructors trained in England in some special branches in which training cannot he so, well obtained in Noiv Zen land, but generally, in the ordinary workshops or in ;> special in.nti-

tutiou, tho necessary training for mnimod Now Zcalaiidcrs could surely bo obtained in their own country. Ino technical schools might Very; well bo made uso of. The re-education ot_ tho totally blind from tlio wars is now being undertaken at St. Dunstan's Hospital, London,: and tho few cases otto tally blind New Zealanders will no doubt continue to bo sent thoro. A Now Zealand lieutenant, wlio has himself lost an arm, is being sent tho round of the various institutions in England with a view to obtaining for Now Zealand tho fullest information on tho subject of the re-education and employment of disabled soldiers, and ho will bo able on his ■ return to assist those in Now Zealand who will bo charged with this very important worlc. It will take a disabled man from- six. to nine months to learn a new vocation. Tho State experimental farms might arford ono source of employment. Thoro arc at present in our hospitals in JMgland about a-hundred cases in which reeducation .will have to bo undertaken.