WAR PENSION APPEALS

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 1, 26 September 1921, Page 5

WAR PENSION APPEALS

NEW. BOARD REQUIRED V r IWS OF RIS.A. EXECUTIVE The reconstruction of the War Pensions Appeal Board as to make it a board of appeal on general instead of medical grounds is advocated by the executive of the Now Zealand Returned Soldiers’J Association. Tho matter was discussed at tho executive mooting, when the following ree mit was received from tho annual conference of returned soldiers: “That this matter bo referred to the executive, with instructions to reconsider th> whole question of the War Pensioc.-; Appeal Board! in. the direction of obtaining amending legislation in order to mnke ouoh board an appeal board on general grounds.” • The chairman (Sjr Andrew Russell) stated that tho idea was to make the appeal board a board of general appeal instead of a board of appeal on medical grounds. Mr. Long suggested that the remit ho to the standing subcommittee with instructions to get the honorary solicitor to draft an amendment to the War Pensions Act, under which an appeal board would be constituted along the lines of the Bill brought down some time ago by Mr. Hands, M.P. The amendment could ha brought in as a private member's Bill, and the Government might then take it up. i Tho chairman: The hiatter -could be introduced whan waits on members of Parliament on Wednesday regarding pnnsions. It was stated that the board under this proposal would- l>o reconstructed, and instead of a Magistrate and two medical practitioners, there would bo one medical practitioner and two laymen to deal with appeals on general grounds. It was decided to adopt Mr. Long s suggestion, and to stipulate that one of the Jaymen should be chairman of tho board, also that where a case came before tho board on purely medical grounds the medical officer could call in another medical practitioner if he desired. '