DISEMBARKATION OF INVALIDED RETURNED SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 185, 25 April 1918, Page 6

DISEMBARKATION OF INVALIDED RETURNED SOLDIERS

■ REPLY TO ALLEGATIONS OF DELAY. In view of the disconlenl amongst a' i certain section of the comniunilv .it the ' delay in disembarking invalided" returned soldiers after the Arrival of n troopship at the firs'; Now Zealand port of call, Iha methods in force in Australia and in Canada may bo of interest. In Australia men are medically ciassi-' fied on arrival, and those which" are not cot cases or requiring immediate hospital treatment are givsu disembarkation leave not exceeding fourteen davs, on the expiry of which the soldier* hnfl (o report at ft hospital specified in his leave pass, taking his full kit with him. He is then medically boarded and n determination is come to as to whether he- is to be discharged or to receive further treatment i.i a hospital nr convalescent home. In Canada all returned t'oldicrs are upon disembarkation taken tea clearing . depot capable of accommodating 2000, and here they are kept until it is decided whether they are to bo discharged or sent to hospitals or convalescent homes for further treatment.; About 100 ecsos per day ar« dealt with; and as the men for the Western Provinces are dealt with first in order (o permit ail to reach their homes about the same time, a soldier may be, after his return, kept, for one week or more in the clearing depot before he is at liberty to proceed to his home. Possible Changes Here. It has been found possible in New Zealand by doing tljo medical boarding, etc,, on the transports to permit a soldier with less .than-12 hoars' delay after arrival at the first port of disembarkation, to proceed to his home, with tho knowledge as to what Iris future treatment, will be. Men whose military service is ended receive ono week's eick leave and three weeks' privilige leave, and are in a position to take up civilian employment whenever they consider it desirable. Pension amplication forms are Ailed in on tho troopship, and tho first nayment of pension is available, as soon as military pay stops. Soldiers who require further treatment in hospital or convalescent homes arc given, wherever the condition of tho permits, a week at their homes before commencing the treatment necessary to restore them to health. If larger numbers'or soldiers arrive it is considered that it may be necessary " to initiate a system hero like (hat in force in Australia or Canada, tut, although both next-of-kin and soldiers are impatient of any .delay onca tho troopship has arrived in port it is considered that this is nothing to the inconvenience which would bo caused (o the soldier and Ilis friends if he had lo be broughfi back to hospital or convalescent homo after a short period of leave at his homo merely for the purpose of being medically boarded and discharged.