War Veterans Seek Economic Relief

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 818, 12 November 1929, Page 12

War Veterans Seek Economic Relief

COMMISSION SITS OPENED HERE TODAY Iho evi'nomiv conditions and or. 11 cumsiani-c> surrounding the * cx-soldiers in the Great War, s ou African War and Maori War are „ present being inquired into by t ". j; Returned Soldiers’ Rehabilitation CcJ ' mission i on.-istine of Mr, J. Rj... S.M. i.chairman). s-,r John Lake u 1 Mr. S. .T. Harrison, general secret, of the New Zealand Returned Soldier, Association, which opened its Am, land siting this morning at the To*Hall The chairman said the inquiry*; to be made into the conditions a circumstances of persona being residents of the Dominion, whethe f men or women, who were engaged • military, naval »»r air force in the laxwar, South African campaign or the Maori War. whether beyond New Ze land or not. and whether in the Xe* Zealand Forces or in the service <- the Crown in any part of the Britu Empire and who. at the present tinware not in a position adequately y, maintain themselves and their depend ents. and into the adequacy of tb> present provision made for them, and into the necessity or expediency ~r making further statutory provision He said that six points to be sjk, ally inquired into and reported on were The circumstances and conditio J of persons concerned and the natur* of their disabilities: the adequacy ,• the provision ai present made for them: facilities for land settlemen establishment in business, financial assistance and special training ar-i treatment: generally the means L which the remaining capacity of suck persons can be best utilised so a* to enable them in whole or in par to maintain themselves and their dependents and the advisability or otherwise of adopting any particular means which may he proposed: th* best means of affording assistance t* cases unable to maintain themself and the classes of persons who should come within the scope of the recommendations and the principle governing such classifications: and tta» necessity for legislation to enable all or any recommendations to be earn®: into effect. MAORI WAR VETERANS Captain Janies Stichburv, who served in the First ('lass Militia. X 1 Company, gave evidence regardinr the number of members of the Annei; Constabulary still living. He said thr there were about 40 living in th* Auckland district He asked that a supplementary pension be given in order to bring their present pension up to £5 a month. Major Halpin. representing ih* South African War veterans, asked that South African veterans be given a pension on the same basis as Maori War veterans and that it be granted before the age of 65 years; that a sum of money be set aside for th* establishment of a land settlement scheme similar to that in operation for ex-soldiers of the Great War; aad that an economic pension he given to men who through injuries are not able to earn full wages. Their «iaiir. in effect was that there should be if distinction between classes of ex service men. said Major Halpin. CORPS OF COMMISSIONAIRES

On behalf of the Auckland Returned Soldiers’ Association, Sir George Richardson presented a report which h* said had been compiled after exhaustive inquiry and from information re ceived from some 1,300 returned soldiers. The most urgent need. h c said, was the providing of work for unemployed returned soldiers. Although there was a general opinion that many of the returned men were unemployable on account of disabilities, he and members of the association considered that many of these men could be usefully employed. He considered that a large proportion of partially disabled men could be employed in the Public Service as libmen, porters, letter-sorters, and mes c engers, etc. In England a corps of commissionaires had been organised through which returned men of good character were trained and placed i* such employment. This had proved a great success and it was suggested by the R.S.A. committee set up t° compile the report that a similar organisation be adopted in New Zealand.

To the Chairman: He thought the existing accommodation at the Vet- • erans’ Home in Auckland was quiF j sufficient for the present. He agree* | with the chairman that there were men who, after all inquiry, it wa e s found were not suitable for any em- ! ployment, and for whom nothing couW be done except be sent to a home. The chairman said he was partici- . larlv pleased with the suggestion rej garding the Corp of Commissionaires j which was on the lines of a sugge>I tion already being considered by the i commission. He intended to call members of the Rotary Club and reP- ; resentatives of other organisations w order to solicit their assistance. A member of the staff of the Labour part men t would also be called to ?|' 3 evidence regarding the trade union aspect of the scheme The commission intended to explore all avennes of State employment, so that before approaching private firms the cwf could say that the State had done it® work. . Sir John Luke said the report su mitted by Sir George Richardses I would prove of great assistance.