RETURNED SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 64, 9 December 1919, Page 5

RETURNED SOLDIERS

CLAIMS PUT BEFORE ELECTORS AND CANDIDATES. The New Zealand Returned SoloiorV Association is submitting for the consideration of tho eloctors and of candidates for Parliament a statement of the issues in respect to which it regards the duty of the country to the soldier as still unfulfilled. Tho following are the main claims of the association:—

(1) Pay and Allowaiices.-(a) That the benefits of the Financial Aesistance Act which cnaio into force in January, 1917, should bo extended to apply over tho whole war period, and that the administration of the Act should bo transferred to tho Keoatrintion Department, (b) That tho increased scale of officers' pay which came into force in April, 1918, should be made uniform over the whole ivar -eriod.

2. Medical Treatment.—Treatment for war disability will be an important matter to the. disabled soldier for the next fifty years. As time passes new cases of illness directly attributable to war eervice will continuously arise. Perhaps also tho need will arise for the provision in directions not now anticipated. The B.S.A. therefore desires that the Government should at once recognise and define its full responsibility, and make the necessary statutory provisions. The following requests of the R.S.A. are among tho most urgent of those affecting medical administration: (a) That legislation 1)B introduced at the earliest possible opportunity to make all cases of venereal disease compulsorily notifiable (b) That every soldier suffering rfrom tuberculosis shoultf receive not loss than six months' treatment in a sanatorium, and that he 'shou'iC not be discharged until his health has reached a satisfactory condition. 3. Pensions.—(a) That tho schedule of pensions, for specific injuries, of the War Pensions Act, 1917, and tho second schedule thereto bo regraded by the addition of ulus'percentages up to 150 ppr cent, (that is ,£3 per iveek) and the total percentage shall bo tho minimum pension for total permanent disablement, supplementary pensions and attendants' nensions to bo over antf above such Tale, and the dependants' pensions to bo at nresent. rato. (b) That in the case of tho death of an ox-soldier through war disablement, his widow or dependants be eligible in every ?ase for a pension. i. Civil He-establishment.—The following are the main features of the claima of the B.S.A. under, this head (tho guiding principles being that of "pre-war standard of living"): (a) That a definite assurance be given by Parliament that tho benefit of the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act and'the Repatriation.Act will be available so long.as they are required by soldier?, and that at least hrelvfi months' notice be given of any intention to terminate them. 0)) That t.he maximum advance for. business pnrnoses be increased from .£3OO to _500. (c) That Hie responsibility for buying homes for soldiers Iμ transferred from the lands Department to tho Repatriation Department, (d) That the'satisfactory adjustment of the problem of renatriafirm shall be a determining factor in deciding an immigration policy, and that the general nolicy of white New Zealand bo adopted.