VETERANS BARRED

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 12, 29 January 1937, Page 6

VETERANS BARRED

Unemployment Reiiel To Cease GOVERNMENT ATTITUDE Returned soldiers receiving war veteran allowances have been notified that from to-morrow, Saturdav, they will not be regarded as eligible for unemployment relief. The attitude of the Employment Board is that the Employment Promotion Aet was devised with the object of assisting persona whose unemployment was due solely ■ to economie. causes and was essentially of a temporary nature. The Employment Board 's contention is that it was never intended that the allowances granted imder the War Yeterans ' Allowances Act should .be regarded as supplementaray to the relief assistance provided under the Employment Promotion Act. Thus to-morrow will be the last day in which unemployment relief payments will be" made to any persons m receipt of a war veteran's allowance. This will apply to isustenance recipients, No. 5 Scheme workers, No. 4A men, small farm snstenance recipients and gold prospectors. Inquiries were instrueted in Hastings this morning, following on the receipt of information from Taranaki that such action was to be taken, and this information was confirmed. "Consequently, after to-morrow these men will have the beneiit of the unemployment fund removed, and will therefore have their incomes reduced. The matter has no.fc been discussed by the' Hastings Returned Soldiers' Association, as they have reeeived no official intimation of the Employment Board's action, and the secretary, Mr V. A. Thompson, was consequently not in the position to make any comment on the subject when approaclied by the "Herald-Tribune" this morning. lt is understood that a complaint has been forwarded from South Taranaki, through the jDominion headquarters of the Returned- Soldiers' Association, to the responsible Cabinet Minister, quoting specifio cases where undue Bardship will result if the Employment Board's resolution is put into effect. For the information of readers it is pointed out that the war veterans' aliowahce" is distinct from a pension due to war disability, and is based on the earning capacity of the veteran plus the number of dependents in his family. It is granted to ihe recipients because they are unable to carry -on bheir normal occupation, but fhis need not necessarily be due to the direct result qf war service.