RETURNED SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 217, 1 June 1918, Page 8

RETURNED SOLDIERS

CONFER WITH MINISTER OF DEFENCE

MANY PROBLEMS DISCUSSED

By Telegraph-Press Association.

„. Auckland, May 31. Sir James Allen, Minister of Defence, -not the, Returned Soldiers' Conference nnd discussed a number of mutters affecting tho welfare oi returned men nnd the country generally. Regarding the proposed Ministry of Repatriation, the Minister said he wa., sympathetic, but the problem whs not easy. He had hoped that the Ministi'i- in'chnrgn of the Information Department would hn in effect the Minister of Kcpntrintion, but whether he wns sufficiently eo he could not say. The difficulty was that so many matters in (he scheme enme nn- , der different Departments. The Minister in Charge would have to keep in constant touch with ln& colleagues concerned in the matter, and his Dpgavtment should form the main channel of communication.

Dealing with the conference'? resentment of activity of lii" Spcoih] Division League regarding repatriation, Sir James Allen said returner! soldiers, as rnen who had been to the front, had more knowledge of that aspect of the problem. They on.jht to remember that members of the lenguo would bo

'eturned soldiers nlso fome dny. Dr. Boxer brought forward the need for special treatment for sholl-shock and neurasthenic cases in institutions set ii part for the purpose, and for restrichons of the supply o£ nlcohol to such men. Sir James Allen said the help of the public was needed in regard to drink. Severe neurasthenic case- were being dealt with at Karitane Home, and less sovere cases were sent to Hanmer; !>ul it had been found that thfi Wolff ITomn at Auckland wns unsuitable, and an effort was being made to find another place. The Minister to obtain a new return of eligible Staff and Territorial officers at present on home service, and paid.he agreed that such officers should bo sent to the front unless there was n vital reason to the contrary. As far •ij he remembered, tho return showed cnly two such officers (apart from dentists), and these two had been on]y recently passed as fit. He referred in de'nil to the .Government's reasons for sending First Division Territorial officers into camp as sergeants, and stated that the rights of these men had been safeguarded as far as possible, though there were no active service commissions available for them. After the association's suggestion that the mufti allowance on discharge should be £5 55., the Minister suggested that a committee be set up to meet Departmental officers, nnd discuss the matter. In reference to retrospective allowances to wives and dependants of maimed men, Sir James Allen replied that he could not seo how the proposal could be carried out. Everyone admired the men who volnnteered. but he feared that the difficulties were too great. There was a distinction between the man who went voluntarily under the lower rates of pay and the man who was now being conscripted. . The Government had found it absolutely necrwnry to Taise the rates. He would see what could be done. ' The conference elected thr , following officers:—President, Mr. C. W. Bntten (Wellington); vice-presidents. Dr Boxer (Napier), Messrs. N! B. M'OUum (Christchurch), T. W. Stringer (Hamilton), J. Melliiff (AiifK-lnnd): hon. treasurer Mr. G. Munro (Wellington). The conference has concluded.