RETURNED SOLDIERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 24, 20 April 1927, Page 5

RETURNED SOLDIERS

RELIEF OF DISTRESS ASSOCIATION’S WORK “The past year has been a very difficult one for the Returned Soldiers’ Association, the pravelence of unemployment has caused your executive considerable anxiety, the winter of 1926 being especially bad in this respect, and it was sad to see the number of cases of distress among men who had done their bit; in many instances, families were even verging on starvation,” states the eleventh annual report of the Auckland R.S.A. “The association was able to relieve a large number of cases, but, had its membership been larger, it would have been able to do much more in this direction. The coming winter promises to be a very severe one as far as unemployment is concerned, and all returned soldiers are urged to rally to their association and assist the other fellow, who is unable to obtain work through no fault of his own.” Unemployment was an important part of the work of the association during the last 12 months, when over 400 jobs, casual and permanent, were found for returned soldiers. The association is working in close touch with the Government Labour Bureau, and as it is expected that next winter will be a very hard one, all returned men are asked to assist in continuing the good work of the association by doing their best to increase the membership. The report notes an increase in membership during the past year from 633 to 643. The fact that the association has not only held its own, but has gained in numbers, is considered to be very satisfactory. During the year 125 disabled men availed themselves of the services of the secretary, Mr. E. H. Sharp, in preparing their claims for hearing before the War Pensions Appeal Board. Of these claims, 45 were dismissed by the board, three were deferred and 77 upheld, the money value of the claims being nearly £6,000. As usual, the Evelyn Firth Home. Auckland Hospital and the Mental Hospital, Avondale, were regularly visited by the secretary, gifts of fruit, cigarettes, etc., supplied by the Red Cross Society, being distributed to the inmates of the Auckland Mental Hospital. Similar gifts were sent to the Mental Hospital, Kihikihi, every month.