NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL SERVICE LEAGUE.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 29 November 1917, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL SERVICE LEAGUE.

LEST WE FORGET CAMPAIGN.

We have received the following very interesting letter from the above League, which we feel sure will be read with deep interest, and should be acted upon at once: — RE-EDUCATION OF OUR DISABLED SOLDIERS. Dear Sir or Madam, — This great war is sending back to our shores many of the finest of our young men disabled for life. They have fought bravely in defence of our homes. We owe much to these brave boys, and we fear unless we bestir ourselves many of them will live in our midst discontented and unhappy. There is nothing disabled soldiers dread more than to feel they are useless and unable to earn their own living. Will someone in your district call a public meeting and get the resolution below passed, and, when passed, will you please forward it to the Member of Parliament for your district, with a personal note drawing his . attention to the importance of the subject ? It is often hard for a soldier to get restarted in civil life, and we ask you to do all in your power to help every returned soldier, and to support the Discharged Soldiers' Department, which is doing such splendid work. We suggest that a Training College be built, to hold at least 200. In such a college soldiers could be taught such trades as shoe-making, tailoring, picture-framing, book-binding, book-keeping, etc. Training could also be given for any profession that disabled soldiers can follow. ' The college might be built on some 20 or 30 acres of ground, in order that industries, such as fruit-growing, bee-keep-ing, hothouse work, poultryfarming, market gardening, could be taught.

We should like you to urge upon your member of Parliament not to leave this matter until we win the war. The disabled men now returning must soon find some employment. Left to themselves they will either drift into such occupations as they are now fit for or be employed by some generous employer. In either case, if they are unable to do a full day's work they will in a very few years be classed as permanent inefficients. The people ot New Zealand should take steps now to prevent such a calamity, The Government in the Technical Schools are offering free places, and allowing disabled men a special boarding allowance; but the men do not care to study with juniors. They require comradeship, and special classes by themselves, with a ceitain amount of freedom, to joke and laugh at one another's mistakes in trying to overcome their handicap, and at present the most useful crafts and industries for disabled men are not taught. A College is wanted, right out in country, so that a healthy and free life can be.led while learning and outduor industries taught. It's useless sending disabled soldiers to the back blocks farming, unless they have experience. We think the establishment of a Training College will be a national asset. It will pay the nation to make its disabled soldiers useful and happy citizens. After a time, civilians, who are unfortunately disabled, could also be taught in the same college and ultimately the building could be turned into a veterans' home for soldiers who break down in old age. Asking your earnest support,,—Yours faithfully, F. NORRIS, Hon. Organiser.

COPY OF RESOLUTION That this meeting, while fully appreciating provisions alreadymade for the benefit of returned soldierg. is strongly of the opinion that further provision should be made for the purpose of assisting disabled soldiers to take up suitable occupations, and to this end we recommend that the Government be asked to erect and maintain a Training College'for disabled soldiers at which college full opportunities shall be given to all disabled soldiers to receive expert advice and training, in suitable crafts and industries, sufficient to enable them to reenter civil life with a reasonable prospect of earning a fair living ; and we, the persons attending this meeting, pledge ourselves to do our best in assisting returned, and especially disabled soldiers to reenter civil life.