HELPING SOLDIERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1032, 24 July 1930, Page 7

HELPING SOLDIERS

COMMISSIONAIRES CORPS PLANNED MOVE BY AUCKLAND R.S.A. “There is always a tendency for the sailors and soldiers of the country to be forgotten. Though there is a good deal of apathy on the part of the general public, it is the duty of the public to protect these men.” So said General Sir George Richardson, who presided at a meeting of members of the Returned Soldiers’ Association and Toe H. at the Officers’ Club last evening. The meeting wat convened for the purpose of considering the formation of a Corps of Commissionaires along the lines adopted in England, to obtain work of a light character for disabled or partially-dis-abled unemployed members of the Army, Navy and Air Forces. Among the visitors present were Mr. M. H. Wynyard, chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board, and Major Wilkie An apology was received from the Mayor, Mr. George Baildon. Unemployment had become a national problem, said Sir George, and now, as after the Napoleonic Wars, the position was particularly difficult. Though the Returned Soldiers’ Association and Toe H. were behind every movement to alleviate the position generally, they were concerned specially with ex-servicemen. In that connection it was necessary to go to the Old Country for a lesson. “In 1859, four years after the Crimean War, when there was a large number of disabled soldiers and sailors,” Sir George continued. "To alleviate distress and find them positions, a small body of officers organised a Corps of Commissionaires and it is that organisation, which has grown to sreat dimensions in the Old Country, that we are considering copying.” The positions that could be found included jobs as messengers, clerks, office caretakers, bank guards, liftmen, ’imeheepers and storekeepers. In Auckland letters had already been tent around many firms asking if they could place men and satisfactory reW>e« up to a certain point had been received. Men would be engaged trom the headquarters of the corps nud would be vouched for as reliable, u was not expected that men already '* “Sht positions should be disrharged, but that ex-servicemen should be absorbed as vacancies occurred. Colonel Dawson said the present *** was t ’ le action of the Returned soldiers’ Association. It was pro"hod to establish a committee to get °h with the work at once. board of governors In England the Corps of Commislouaires was administered by a board J Jovernors controlling the Officers’ rmaowment Fund, a war fund raised tlle Crimean War. . ” ® should endeavour to get somein"v * rom one of the war funds here Jh New Zealand,” said the speaker, th w< ? u *dh’t want to interfere with , * capital, but merely to establish a ud to be administered by a board of governors also.” cni i . num b er of honorary members to. i ** e brought into the corps on a subscription basis. The first sg would be r.o establish a register s 6 a . nem P*°y e d men who had seen Ice in any of the three services, tn 1 * aa b r °P°Bod to supply uniforms r section of the men placed. If it IJ osa lble, all those ex-servicemen to i , rea< * y had jobs would be asked levla ant * a contribution would be Dlof 6 a ? n those who were actually that 11 A condition would be th those severing connection with kutom'it' 8 forfeit their positions M'\ a t ! 18Wer t 0 sir George Richardson, Soldi! , Pe ' Bec > etary of the Returned Wo . rs Association, said that about Auckland'^' 61 " 3 were unemployed in JL** B . deci ded that though the ls ation did not want to interfere 9tidßrV andard wages, it would, seek Htslmed m awartls in special cases for com 1 *! 1 ? conclusion of the meeting a Sir p ale ® Fas set up consisting of Bro»„ ° r 5 e Richardson, Mr. A. St. C. T v.i Comi uander Hull, Colonel CV tOMer r . and Mr - J- H. Jackson, to Aj 90 „, th the Returned Soldiers’ or g| v “” ion . who would appoint five * Members also. 1