SOLDIERS' AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 27, 26 October 1917, Page 5

SOLDIERS' AFFAIRS

MEETING OF THE ADVISORY BOARD

GETTING BACK TO NORMAL The Advisory Board of the Federation of Now Zealand Patriotic War Relief Societies 1 met in Wellington yesterday. Mr. L. 0. H. Tripp presided. Tnero wern also present: Messrs. C. W. Parker (Blenheim), W. W. Snod'grass (Nelson), 13. ,T. Scantlebury (West Coast), R. If. M'Duff-Birroll (Gisborne), Kirkwood (Taranaki), E. 11. Williams (Hawke's Bay), Hope Gibbons (Wanganui), Hon. J. T. Paul (Otago), J. J. Dougall (Christchurch) Tho Minister of Defence (Sir .Tames Allen), replying to the point raised in a resolution of tho recent conference of delegates from patriotic societies — "That in the interests of returned soldiers, many of whom h'avo failed to appreciate their rights of application for Government pensions, and therefore suffer, the Government be requested to make provision wheroby soldiers should bo required .to lodge their applications for Government poneions or signify their lion-necessity of a pension at tho fame time as receiving their provisional discharge"—stated that every facility vas given to soldiers to complete their forms of application for pensions when tliey came before . tho .Medical Board which recommended their discharge from tho Expeditionary Forces, and arrangements had recently keen, made whereby the Defence officer attending on the Medical Board may take the soldier's declaration. Regarding the suggestion that a soldier should bo required to signify in writing his desire not to apply for pensions in lieu of completing a form of application, I regret, added the Minister, that this will not in any way assist tho administration of the War Pensions Department, inasmuch as any such act on the part o! a soldier would not in any way prevent him from lodging a claim at a future date, should be become incapacitated as a result of his military service. The experience already has been that soldiers in giving reasons for claims lodged twelve months after tho date of discharge ha'vo stated that they thought they would be able to get along without pension, and I am afraid it will alwayfe continue to bo the case that certain men, who may be physically fit at date of discharge, will suffer nt a Inter date as a result of their war seryice. I note the recognition that has been made of the work that tho Pensions Department is doing, and improvements in the administration that havo been made from time to time.

It was decided that no further action be taken in tho matter. Pensions Board. In reply to a. letter forwarded by the lionrd's secretary, suggesting that local advisory committees could hear personal application for pensions and so relieve the work of the Pensions Board l , tho Minister wrote:—

"It is noted that the suggestion is made that the appointment of local advisory committees would improve tho work of the Pensions Department, by keeping the work up to date, but there is no evidence, as far as I am aware, that there are any undue delays under the present system. It is further suggested' that the adoption of the resolution would secure prompt decisions, but it, I think, goes without saying that, if all applications havo to be referred to local committees in tho first instance, tho decisions of the War Pensions Board would not be availablo to applicants so early as at present. However, I desire to inform you that the question is receiving consideration in connection with the war pensions legislation, which will bo introduced during the present session of Parliament, and a further reply will be sent to you in due course."

Training College for Soldiers. Tho Hon. A. L. Herdnian wrote:—"l ■have given careful consideration to your letter of the 27th .ultimo, embodying a resolution of the conference of delegates from the New Zealand War Belief Socitics recently held in Wellington, affirming that tho Government should immediately take steps to establish'a training, college for disabled soldiers. The subject of your resolution is one which has engaged the attention of my Department for a very considerable timo past, but I regret' that up to the present I have not 6een my way to recommend the heavy expenditure which the scheme would involve. .1 dealt with this question in the report which I presented to Parliament at tho commencement of the current session, and I have not at present seen any occasion to modify tho views expressed therein. The wholo question of training for soldiers is Teceiving my very enrnest consideration, and I hope to devise means for extending the facilities for acquiring it and impressing jipon disabled men its paramount importance for their future welfare. I am not satisfied, however, that their segregation in a spocial institution soparated from their homes and friends ■would prove a suitable method of advancing the object in view." On the same subject the Minister of Defence wrote:—"The members of the Government have had the matter of tb" training of disabled 6oldiers under 'consideration for many months past, and J. myself have been gathering information from sources where good advice is likely to come from. There are some institutions in Great Britain which apparently serve very good purposes in tho training of .disabled soldiors, but it is questionable whether any such institutions are required at tho' present time in New Zealand. Indeed, the tendency 6eems to be not to segregate the men, but to distribute tlieni and to utilise existing arrangements for their further training. Ton may be quite sure that the matter will not be neglected."

Uniformity of Relief. The chairman rcviowed the question of relief, and compared the recent Government proposals with the scale suggested by patriotic societies, and the following resolution was carried:— "The Advisory Board, while recognising that thcro may bo special cases of hardship among soldiers and their dependants, desire to congratulate the Government upon the amended scalo of separation allowances, and expresses the opinion that the scalo is as liberal as the circumstances of the Dominion will permit." 1 ■. Soldiers on the Land.

In reply to a letter from the Advisory Board of Patriotic Societies, raisins points in regard to returned soldiers going 011 tho land, tho Prime Minister wrote to the effect that it was noc proposed to lay down any hard-and-fast rule in tho matter of postponements or remissions. At the present time tho land boards had it in their power to recommend postponement •or remission in necessary, cases, and their recommendation on the matter would always receive sympathetic consideration. The extension of the limit of <£500 on advances under the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act' had already been considered, and an additional advance of .£250 had been- authorised to; bo made in special cases. Tho settlement of wounded und unfit men was a matter that had already rcceived careful consideration, and the suggestion of tho board was in accordance with the regular practice where the wißhes of tho men concerned were not opposed to it. As regarded road access to dairy lands, it was not advisablo to lay down a fixed rule, as the circumstances of each caso differed so much. Evory consideration was, however, given to the settlers by the board, so as to enable them to succeed on the land allotted to them.