CANTEEN FUND

Hokitika Guardian, 24 June 1931, Page 8

CANTEEN FUND

MONEY WANTED TO AID EX-SOLDIERS. RELIEF OF DISTRESS. WELLINGTON, June 21. Urging thafc the Canteen F'und and the War Relief Council funds slu»ul<i lie open to provide an extra day s work weekly for returned soldiers who were at present iin distress, Colonel G. Mitchell stated at a reunion oi South Alrican veterans on Satuiday night that there were (if Wellington could be taken as n standard) 8000 exsoldiers unemployed in the Dominion. Colonel Mitchell said that 1400 men who had registered as unemployed in Wellington were returned soldiers oui of 5000. On that basis there would be between 8000 and 10,000 returned men unemployed. “Some of them are rigid up against it,’’ declared Colonel Mitchell. .-“1 have working among men under jme a major, a man with a spleudi war record, who has not a pair ol hoots fit to work in.” Of the money available for future emergency, there was £224,000 in the Canteen Fund and £160,000 odd in tin War Relief Council funds, That mad ’ £390,000 available to relieve future distress among returned men. While he agreed it was right that some o this amount should he left, lie thought that the Government should open up some of those funds to help to relieve some of this acute distress. “Is there another time in the life of a returned soldier when things wil 1)0 so acute as this, when the need of assistance will be as great as it is to-day?” lie asked. “Should we not try to give them one day extra per week ? That would mean a little extra food and a pair of boots.” He had suggested this to the trustees of the Canteen Fund, and had written to Sir Andrew Russell for that purpose. “Lot us remember tin* country said that these men would be looked a •tor. We are not playing the game,” he said, “if we do not do something for those who are up against it. It is .surely better to use some of the money to relieve their suffering now, rather than to save it to build a monument for them when lliev are dead.”

Men were continually breaking down as a- result of their war injuries, physically and mentally giving out. They could not take their places on relief works, hut required very light work. The Disabled Soldiers’ Rehabilitation Committee did not yet function. Why should the Government not call it together? He understood that a grant would be made by the Canteen Hoard, and this, together with a grant from tike Unemployment Hoard, would idlow the Act to function.