NOT WORKABLE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3082, 12 May 1917, Page 2

NOT WORKABLE

MINISTER FOR RETURNED SOLDIERS HON. G. W. RUSSELL'S OPINION ! rl : Th ? P™l»ml of the Returned Soldiers Association that there should bo spccid diuy of looking after all ™ turned w ldW affairs with which the qg by the Hon. G. W. Russell ycsister" "W\hl! CHh!l } le \\ said «* Min7«i M- 1 !? Sllould be <i spucial Minister to receive nil ™>. impendence, and to be tl,o channel of communication between the returned oldiers and the Government, but it point n P ° SS, t - lc tO , gobb on d that point. 1,, practico almost every Minvith J?" 10 *™* 0 t( ™h at some point s,°"' » ld »ers, and especially with those wjio have.returned. <H, O Water of Defence deals with' £ throughout their military career, and fte also deals with pensions. When soldiers return from the war thev H° n m HK Un^ Gr th . e COntrol of tbo Public Health Department so soon as thev bnnfl a ] ,o f, Pltal or . a convalescent home and they remain under the conwht4l Übh ° Health. Department h le they are receiving medical treatment i„ this way. As regards cmoftSTw *"? ™der the control oi the Hon. Mr. Herdman, and the scheme lor providing soldiers with land is under tho administration of Sir Francis Bon. No doubt the time will come when somo of the men under?Xfl ' P T I train l n S- afc technical schools will come Imder the control of the Hon. Mr. Efenan. There may be somo acquiring a knowledge of farming at -one o.r other of the State farms, and these, will como under Mr. MacDonald. It would ho quite impossible foi one Minister to deal with the thousands of applications of one sort and another which will be made by soldfers to the Government. It might, however, be an advantage if one Minister were selected with whom all soldiers could communicate. It would then be his duty to-forward .to the Department every application received, to receive the reply of the Department,' and forward it to the soldier. Were sonjei such plan as this adopted, the Mm ster appointed would be regarded as the soldiers' Minister, and no doubt he would bo of assistance, to soldiers ™nK n w g ff.them prompt and direct eplies to their inquiries. I think I ■ have shown that the idea of the Returned .Soldiers' Association is unwork- «*+,,-+ ° ? ther su ee es t>° n which I ™rft £ma • ? m . ay perha p s be wall worthy of consideration."