DISABLED EX-SOLDIERS

Hokitika Guardian, 13 December 1929, Page 6

DISABLED EX-SOLDIERS

20,000 IN NEW ZEALAND. (By Telegraph—Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 12. “Men who came from other parts of the British Dominions, and who have now broken down in health, are not 'the responsibility of any local Patriotic Fund, and apparently the National War Funds Council cannot continue to grant assistance,” said Mr J. Mason, President of the Napier Returned Soldiers’ Association, in giving evidence before the Soldiers’ Rehabilitation Commission. “Some rodiproiM airifangemeiß should be made, and I think that whatever further assistance iis recommended iby the Commission, it should be made clear that such assistace is not for the benefit of men who may come here in the future. Otherwise, we will have an influx of men who are desirous of obtaining all the benefits conferred on the New Zealand returned soldiers.”

“A most inexplicable thing to us is the Imperial Government,” remarked Mr J. S. Barton, S.M., (Chairman of the Commission) “Earl Jellicoe went home fully apprised of the serious nature of the problem, and simply battered himself uselessly against official silence, and had to admit having accomplished nothing. Other officers have fared the same way. The members of the Government, seem to shelter behind the permanent heads. The permanent heads think that the men were made for the rules, and not the rules for the men. We are going to try, I hope, the new Home Commissioner. We can do something. I am going to do something . next year. There are twenty thousand Imperial men in this country. It is a v'erv heavy burden. If wo did do anything, we would simply invito others to (•emo out. The net result of the continual applications by influential bodies bore Ims been nil.”