LIMBLESS SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 209, 29 May 1920, Page 7

LIMBLESS SOLDIERS

MEETING TO AIR GRIEVANCES,

# A meeting of limbless men was held at tno..Boturned Soldiers' Clubrooms last night. Mr. W. Perry (president of the association) presided. General G. S. Richardson attended the meeting. Mr. Perry said that during tlio war they were oil "jolly good fellows," and now tihat tlio war was over, they must not let themselves be forgotten. Mr. N. Johnson ipoved that a sub-com-mitteo bo formed of five members to meet weekly for the consideration of ■grievances.

tins opened the subject for consideration, and several complaints were brought up. Pensions were mentioned by many speakers, wjio urged tlio necessity for immediate increases. ' 'llhe settlement question was also brought up, awl it was pointed out that 110 concessions were made to limbless men in the repayment oi »oans grantcfj for this purpose. Limlj. less men could not earn the* wages fit men could get and were therefore not in "• position to repay the 6amo proportion of their loans'as their more fortunate fellows. Complaint was also made of the consideration given to the amount of a man's pension when ho applied for a position in the Government Departments.

General Richardson sUtccl that 110 em. ployer had any right to ask what the amount of a man's pension was. It was suggested that' the daily allowance for men coming ftom various parts of .New Zealand to lu*.?o, lim'bs fitted should be increased from os. a day to 10s.

General Eichardson said he was pleased to be amongst the limbless men. As a soldier's friend, it would be his pleasure to do what he could 011 the matters raised by the various speakers. He was of opinion that the chairman of the association should take up the matter of repayment of the disabled men's loans, and he would personally, go into the question of refunding the money the men spent when attending the shops. The ftew Zealand pensions scale was insufficient for the men to live on, but he was satisfied that the people and Parliament were sympathetic. They wanted a sound system now which would save money in the long run. The following committee was appointed to go into the matter of grievances of limbless men Messrs. L. V. Tuohy, A. E. Ogilvie, C. T. Adams, N. S. Johnston, and T. F. Smitli.