FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 22, 21 October 1919, Page 8

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

RETROSPECTIVE PRINCIPLE

MEN OF THE EARLY REINFORCEMENTS

The question of retrospective financial assistance tor men of the Main liody of tho early reinforcements formed Ine subject of some jxiintcd remarks at la.it night's sitting of tho N.Z.R.S.A. conference. The discussion aroso on a remit from Waiknto that, in view of tho apparent unsympathetic altitude towards applications mndo by men of the Main Body and earlier reinforcements, application 1» mado for statistics settin.'j out since 51 arch 31 last (a) tlie number of applications uiade for retrospective financial assistance; (b) the number of applicants to whom assistance had been grunted, . In moving the remit Mr. N. A. Clung said that he had information to prove that returned soldiers wero being treated unsympathetieally. lie bail helped two hundred peoplo to apply for iinan. eial assistance, and not one application was granted. The Government was free, lv advertising what it was doing for tha soldiers, but it was eloing very little. Every application that went before the Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board wns filed and sealed in tho secretary s office before it went before the board. That was the reason why the applications wern turned down. The speaker complained that the applications for retrospective bonuses were turned down 111 Ihe secretary's office. It was a scandalous tiling. Captain H, 1\ Jones (Dunedin) seconded the motion, and said that there was a great deal of feeling over tin. attitude of tho board. Mr. W. lv. T.eadle.v (Christchureh) said tint the same thing applied to Christchurch Ho knew of one man who waited 011 the board for four hours and was then told that lie could not bo scon. The thing could not bo. tolerated. Mr. E. F. Andrews (Auckland) voiced similar sentiments and maintained thill the position was tho same in Auckland. Ho asserted that, the secretary who received the application replied to it with nil haste without reference to the board. It was on.} Department which conference could compliment the Government 011 for forwarding prompt replies. . Mr. T. Long (Auckland) claimed that if any 111a.11 could obtain financial assistflnoc from tho financial Board niter liU* ins in all the forms ho was lucky. 4 I say it is an abortion," be declared. The speaker withdrew the word at Urn request of the chairman. Tho wholo of the financial assistance scheme was simply a benefit to soldiers on paper, added Mr, I/ong. He hopcl to hear a clear and lucid statement from Mr. W.'G. Morpeth, representative of. the U.S.A. on the board. The chairman said that ho was in complete accord with the other speaker Ho did not think that the Soldiers Financial Assistance Honrd had fullilled its obligations. He maintained that all soldiers, whether of the Main Body pr not, were entitled to claim financial assistance if required, Mr. L. S. Graham (Invorcargill) also criticised' the soldiers' linancial nssislanco legislation. Mr. W. Pollock (Auckland) said that he had not come across one soldier who had been granled his application for retrospective financial assistance. Mr. W. 0. Morpeth, of the Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board, said that he had found there was a lot of ignorance amongst returned soldiers respect, ing financial assistance. He pointed on! that financial assistance was only retrospective to January, JSII7. Ho claimed that the comments made were entirely unfair, and proceeded to defend Ihe work of tho officers, lie admitted that tho financial form wns a rather involved one, but this could not be avoided. Ho proceeded to illustrate the method by which tho board arrived at its decisions in respect of tho grants. Tho procedure was that the person 'desiring assistanco filled in a form, sent it to the secretary, who might not submit it to the board. He was the man who decided whether a case went before the board or not. The chairman: Do I understand thai an applicant for assistance depends entirely upon tho secretary as to whether ho gets assistance or noli? Mr. ,T. I/Jug (Auckland): He told us so, In answer to further questioning, Mr, Morpeth could not say whether every application was dealt with, by tho secretary of tho board. Mr. E. I'. Andrews (Auckland) asked ■a* it was not a fact that yhen an application was backed up by the Returned Soldiers' Association it was invariably granted? Mr, Morpeth: I could not answer that. 11l reply to Captain It. P. Jones (Dunedin), Mr. Morpeth said that he was the only returned soldier on tho board, 110 further stated thai) it was necessary for tho board bo know what the soldier's civilian earnings wore in order to estimate the assistance to be granted. Tho board comprised a body of very sympathetic gentlemen. Mr. D. Colquhoun (Dunedin) asked if Mr. Morpeth could offer any suggestions to inlprovo the machinery of the board. Mr, Morpeth coukl not • reply to this offhand, but he did not think there was much toom for improvement. Mr. Jones: What percentage of applications havo been met? Mr. Morpeth: It is difficult; to say offhand—but a. great bulk of them were granted. Mr. Jones: Did the Government put any lever 011 the granting of these claims? —No, not at all. In reply to further questions, Mr. Morpeth said that ho was unable to answer specific cases offhand. Hundreds and hundreds of cases were dealt with, and he was unable to give definite answers. Mr, Ching explained that he was not concerned with what happened when tlie financial assistance scheme caine into operation, but iolely with tho restrospeetivo clause. Mr. Sievwrighf (Wellington) asked if the objects of the board could bo more sympathetically administered if tho board was constituted a travelling board. Mr. Mc-rpeth replied' that if The board came into personal contact with the applicants many of them would not get the grants. Mr. G. Mitchell (Balclutlia) suggested that the objects of the board might bo administered by the Repatriation Department or even by a policeman. (Laughter.) Mr. Morpeth said that since tho introduction of the retrospective clause there had not been fifty grants on end turned down. Mr. W. E. Leadiey (Christchureh) thought that if there weifl more returned soldiers 011 the boara and the staff the returned soldiers would get a more sympathetic hearing, but Mr. Morpeth did not agreo with that view. Mr. Andrews asked why the board resented the Returned Soldiers' Association helping to fill in the forms and associating itself in the claims of soldiers. Mr. Morpeth oid not givo a direct answer. but said that a great deal of trouble, ensued when the forms were sent round tho country and filled in by anyone. 111 answer to this Mr. Andrews asked whether it was the policy of the board to discourage applications for financial assistance. Mr. Morpeth said this was not the case. It was news to him that the board did not desire applications to come through the association. Mr. Andrews asserted that he wns in possession of a communication from tho Government to this efiect. Mr. ,T. H. Luxford (Wniknto) said that, he could not restrain himself any longer. He luid never heard of such star chamber methods before. The chairman said that tho whole svslem was obviously wrong; it was infamous that tho secretary of the board should have the power lo turn dowil applications without reference to the board. Mr. A. J. Cowles (llokitikn) held dial conference should not condemn Mr. Morpeth, who should really be complimented for informing conference of the fads of the nosilion. Mr. C'hing withdrew.' his original remit: and substituted another motion: "That in view of the very unsatisfactory manner of dealing with claims put before the board, the conference demand that tho administration of the Financial Assistance Act shauld be placed in tho hands 0: the Repatriation Department, and thai a deputation wait on IJie Min-

ister fo ulace the whole of tho facta before hi in. Tho million was carried unanimously. The president saiil that nothing that was saiil had been directed against Mr. Morpeth, and he moved that the conference thank him for having attended mid exnlained tho position. Mr. C. W. Batten seconded Hie motion. and said that Mr, Morpeth was a innst Estimable gentleman. The motion was carried. fin the mo! ion of -Mr. W. E. Leaoley (Christchureh), seconded by Mr. E. ]•'. Andrews (Auckland), it «■& decided to bring the position before Cabinet 011 Wednesday.