Returned Soldiers’ Association.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3359, 11 December 1919, Page 6

Returned Soldiers’ Association.

‘ - _——..--——--0-—-’——»--. 5 WHAT ‘IT STANDS FOR. A STATEMENT or POLICY. - The following statement- of the aims and objects of the New Zealand ReQturned Soldiers’. Association has been issued for submission to all candidates for political honours at the forthcoming general election, and for publileation in the press:- I GENERAL PRINCIPLES, ‘ 1. Payment for services rendered. 2. lAdequate rnedical: trea;tmen‘t. for in‘juries. 3. Pensions for war disability] $4. Reinstatement of the soldier as near. lily as possible ,on a: pre-war basis, and idue regard to the following points: iThe best interests of_the ‘individual, jthe best interests of the State, the re}sponsibility of the State for training iin alternative occupations the men un‘fit to resume their previous occupations, the responsibility of the State for net loss of earning power through war ‘service. 5. «The -a.pplicati.on of the above principles to ensure uniformity of administration and. uniform treatment of soldiers throughout ‘ill.e'war period. V AUNGRANTED CLAIMS. [The outstanding and ungranlted claims of the Association are therefore classified as follows:—PAY AND ALLOWANCES_ . ' That the benefits of the Financial Assistance Act should be extended to’ apply over the whole War period. _ That the increased scale of otfieers’: pay should be made uniform over the. ar period. . p The first ‘request .was declined by the Minister of Defence, who regarded he fact of men enlisting voluntarily 4s conclusive proof that they were able 0 -leave their dependents in comfort. H The second claim is parallel to: the‘ rst.' ‘New Zealaud oificers were the orst-paid officez-5 in the British forces, nd'received an average rate of. pay hich was 32 per cent lower than the verage rate paid to ofiicers of the cw Zealand Camp Stafif. _ I ‘S MEDICAL TREATMENT. Treatment £6l» war disabilities will ean important matter »to disabled oldiers for many years to come. New llnesses attrilmtable to war servicet ill—co:‘.firru€'.ll'.' arise. and the R-.S.'A. desires that the Government should at! ince recognise ‘and define its full re-, ponsibility, and make 7the necessary tatutloi-y provisions. ‘ Every soldier sufiering from tuberulosis should receive not less than ix months’ sanatoriuni treatment‘, and hould not be discharged until hisl' ealth is satisfactory. The treatment of T.B. cases has been xtremel-y unsatisfactory. Men have] een discharged froni hospital with ctive tuberculosis, either at their own equést, or for lack of sana-terium ommodlftion, and such cases are a enaee to ‘the community. The R-.S.A. undertaking full inquiry, and will urnish a report.

’. - PENSIONS. ' | The «schedule of pensions for. specific,‘ ar injuries, and the second schedulei .f the W;ar Pensions Act, 1917, should e regraded ‘by the addition of plus ercent-ages up to 150 per een.t (that , £3 per week), and the total perentage should be the minimum penion' for total permanent disablementr, upplementary and attendantfls alWances to be over and above the ate, and dependents’ pensions to be t the present. rate. ' The R.S.A. insists that the present ension for. total disablement is only bare existence allowance, as £3 per eek cannot be regarded as ‘CXCCSSIVG ompensation for ‘a soldier wholly! I'okoll in war service. It further de-I it-es that in the event of the death of n ex-soldier thrmlgh war disablement,l is widow or dependents should be ligible in every case for a pension. At present if an ex-soldier diesl hrough war’ disablement his dependnts are eligible only in the case of‘ arriage or engagement to marry r_;riol' ‘ o disablement. A discharged soldier: :9, therefore discouraged from niarry-‘ ng by the fact that his dependents are 0? lcnftitled Jto _!_any;'>pellsionL ._The .'S:A. believes that a nian who has ufiererl in the cause of his country s the type of man who should be enouraged to marry, and, therefore, rges the removal of the clauses in he" Act. which discrim'inat.e against im’. ' REPATRIATION. That 2: definite assurance be given y¢Pal-liament that the benefit of the iseharged Soldiers’ semcment Act ill be available so long as -they are equired by soldiers, and that ‘twelve onths? notice be given of any ‘intenion« to terminatepthem. T 'll.:hat the maximum advance for busipess purposes be increased from £3OO 0 £SOO. . ‘ __SOLDIERS’ HOMES. ' f.’lp‘hat the buyinglof'homes,t'or soldevrsflbe transferred.from the Lands )>p’él:Jartnlenvt _-to. the Repatriation Dejar"tment.h . The machinery ‘of me finds Dep_artmen.t has becnvery slow E44,:pllgperaptidnfpanld the Repatritaion

the conditions prevailing in the towns and cities. _ WIDOWED MOTHERS. , The widowed mother of a deceased soldier should be eligible for the bonefits of the Repatriation Act, in the same way as the widow of a soldier. IMMIGRATION. That the satisfactory adjustment of ‘the problem of repatriation shall be 1-3. determining‘ factor in deciding an inimigration policy is another desire of lthe R.S.A., which also asks that the lgeneral policy of a “white New Zeaalund” be adopted. .' l R-EPATRIATION AND LAND. T_he 'R.S.A. is of opinion that the \land question is the key to the repa‘triation problem, and that its satisfacltory settlement is a question. of the lutmost national importance. ‘The 1 R.S.A. believes that the solution of the ‘land question hinges upon:—— The breaking up of large estates which are_ not being utilised to their; full productive capacity.‘ The tsettlem-ent, under satisfaetoryt conditions of living. and communica-i tion of bush lands. 1 The prevention of aggregation of} land. l The R.S.A. has, therefore, enunciated] a general policy which will be found‘ under the heading of Land Questions.‘ GENERAL. ’ It will be noted that the R.s.'A. has not commented upon the adequacy or otherwise of the scale of pay and allowances of the N.Z.E.F. Its silence must not be construed as an admissionl that the pay-' basis of 5/ per day for the private is either adequate or more’ than New Zealand could reasonably be expected to pay. It has remained silent because it looks to the future, rather than to thg past—-rather to the New Zealande r as a citizen than as a soldier. It has pressed for equality’ of treatment because it. believes that, the bitterness which the soldier feels against at Government which distributes favours generously to those who‘ delayed and bargained, is deep seated and justifiable. But beyond these, the‘ future is the _real concern of the] soldier. The R.S.A. believes that secure position. for the soldier is much more in his best ‘interests and in those I of New Zealand than any cash pay-l ment for what he may have done. It; has accordingly emphasised the im—l portance of the constructive treatment‘ of the problem ofnational production, especially as effecting the land, and) has embodied its views in 8, full policy | statement which has already been] published. I - ‘SUPPLEMENTARY. ‘ The following is a list of the resolu-

tiong passed at the recent. special con- , ference‘:—— A p [ LAND QUESTION. } ___._ ‘SUPPLEMENTARY RESOLUTIONS PASSED AT THE RECENT SPE- ’ CIAL DOMINION CONFERENCE. I.—-“ T-hat those men discharged as unfit (from Military Camps) should be deemed eligible for property under the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act.” ' 2.——“ That this Conference urge upon the Government the necessity for expediting the work in connection with Government Loans under the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Act.” 3——“T.hat 7/6 be the fee for any valuation for an inspection of any dwelling under the D.SS. Act and no stamp duties be charged to soldiers on the first purchase of property orlbusiness, these provisions to be made retrospective ”

: 4.———“ That where soldier farmers who have been assisted in procuring their farrn and who apply for further assistance for the purchasing of stock‘, implements, etc}, the advance be not made a charge on the land as a second mortgage, but be taken over the stock only.” - 's.——“That lack of capital should not be a bar to soldier Settlers of sumcient experience desirous of taking up land and that -the Minister of Lands be requested to give instructions to Land Boards ‘that. lack of capital should not prevent any such nl-an taking" up land, and that in such cases the provision providing for payment of-the half-year’s rent shall not ap‘ply.” ‘ ’ 6.——“ That. the attention of the Government be drawn to the great demand by Returned Soldiers for grazing leases and pastoral runs and urge that this class of land be thrown open for such?’ 7.——“That_where the leases of grazing leases or pastoralruns expire no renewals «be granted provided retu=.--ned soldiers are prepared to take them up.” B.——“ That the Government be urged to transfer the adlllini'sl.ra,tiu:l of advances to returned soldiers for purchasing‘ and building houses from the Land Boards to the l{epat.rin+ion Boards.” ’ ' (To be continued.)