THE LIMBLESS MEN

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 158, 29 March 1919, Page 8

THE LIMBLESS MEN

GRIEVANCES OP SOLDIERS

ANGRY REMARKS AT R.S.A. MEETING

Tho grievances of men who have lost limbs at tho front v/ero discussed at a meeting of the Wellington Roturned Soldiers' Association last:night., The statements of the speakers revoalcd the existence of a good deal of angry feeling among the returned men regarding tho treatment of limbless soldiers by tho Government and 'by the public.

Members, including some of the limbless men, .stated, that there have been vexatious and unnecessary delays in tho provision of satisfactory artificial limbs, that the disability imposed by tho loss of limbs has not -always been fully recognised by the authorities; and that the hospital treatment has not always been w-hat it should be. Complaint was mado regarding the inconsiderate attitude, ot many people in trams "and in the streets. Men who had lost log? were compelled to "strap-hang" and were jostled in such a way as to expose them to pain and actual danger.

The secrotary. (.Mr. A. Curtayne) men-' tioned that limbless men at Rotorua had held a meeting and forwarded a list of their complaints to tho headquarters of the association. They had also handed the list to tho medical, officer in command at Rotorua. This officer had said that ho was in accord with tho men on most of tho points raised, and that he intended to ha,ve . matters • 'adjusted. There was reason to believe that the grievances which had existed would bo Temedied shortly.

A member who was minus a leg mi that he had lost his limb in .Tune, 1917. He had not yet been fitted properly with an artificial leg, and ho was not" wearing ono now. lip was on crutches. A member: I know a man who cannot ■wear his leg. Tho chairman (Mr. J. D. Harper) said ;the association wished to get at all the facts regarding the limbless men.

A. committee of limbless men was set up to gather all available information and report to the association..

, One of the men who.had lost a leg said he had a further grievance. His insurance premiums had been paid by bis family while he was at the front, and now the Government would not refund the money, although it was paying the premiums of men who had gone awtiv two or three years later.

"The .whole trouble is that we return, ed soldiers are taking things too quiet. ; ly," said a newly returned man. "We i will have- to do whut they have done in | Eussia aud .form, soldiers' councils. It '■mukes my blood boil to see the way returned soldiers are compelled to go on thrir hands and knce t s for their rights." ."My mistake was in joining this asso. ciation. instead: of ..the Second .Division League," said another man. "They jmnde their demands before they went 'and while we were fighting.'Wohave not heard of the league for some time now." A suggestion that the association should call a meeting of all returned solaiers in the Town. Hall to discuss grievances was not endorsed. The meeting instructed the committee of the as- , soe-jation to call meetings monthly in the future. ■ '