N.Z. RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3500, 31 May 1920, Page 5

N.Z. RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE. WELLING'I‘ON This Day. The fourth annual conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association opened on 'Sat.urday night, and will be continued throughout the present week. A large nunxber of delegates present, and Dr. Boxer, president of the Association, occupied the chair. . ‘Mayor Luke welcomed the delegates. The annual report states that during the past year the ~following distinguished visitors und‘soldiel's were enrolled as _members: Prince of Wales (life patron), Viscount Jelliane (life member), Major-G-enerals Russell and Chayfor, 81-igacliel‘-Generals Richardson, Hart. and Stewart. The memberShir) has risen from 25,000 fo 57,000. During the year there had S]')l‘:tllg into Zexistenco :1. British section of the As- : sooiation, composed of genuine ex-N.Z.~ men and New Zoaland members ’of other forces. There had been sevioral anmnalios in respect '7)?" gratuities, and a committee was now set up to deal with fhese matters. The past year had been one of unresf as rognrcls internal organisation, and satisfactory arrangement had not yet been come to. At. present lreadquzu-tors is more‘ or less the scapegoat of all the ;\.ss(\cinfiolls in 'fhe constifufion. At the Returned Soldiers’ Conference the question of tubercular pa~ patients was discussed at length.

Dr Boxer said he wished all T.B_ men to understand the Association had their best interests at heart. He strongly urged that “chest sweep up” be xnade.

] ’l'‘lle Conference decided to urge 'T.B. men, on being discharged from ‘the sanatorium should be provided by {the Defence Department with perman;ently suitableshelters, properly furinished, with bed, bedding, etc; that ‘Where the patient owns a house having ’a verandah the Defence Department defray the expenses of having -the verandah glassed in and furnished with bedding. etc‘; that the personnel of all sanatoria should where possible be ex-T.B. men; that compulsory examination be made every six months of T.B. men, ollt-p:'ltien‘ts and 'discllargees (1: 0-1; for pensions) by a specialist or by a specialist who treated the man’s case, and thzat the Defence Depal-tment be responsilble for the traznsportatzion of patients to a. specialist; that it be recommendation to D.G.Mu's. to send a chest expert through New Zealand to examine all chest cases from the New Zealand force_

Dr Bdxer stated, in approaching the T.B. question the point of making each man his own employer should not be overlooked. The man might have the greatest willingn.es__s in the world, but sometimes an account of his disability he mightznot always‘ be able to work as hard for an emplojrer as He would like to do’-. ‘

‘ It was decided tha’t _a'sp'ecial medical commitvtee of five be se’r up by the N.Z.R.S.A. to act in an advisory capacity to headquarters, the personnel to consist of three returned chest experts and two T.B_ patients.

The Conference also resolved that Where Medical superintendents of Sanatoria recommend that when treatment in Australia or elsewhere would be beneficial to a T.B. patient, the cost of their tl'ea/tment and transportation abroad should be borne by the Government. ‘ ‘A ‘deputation will wait on the Prime Minister today to place the remits of the Conference on 'l‘.B. before him, and it was recommended that stress be made of the point mentioned iby Dr Boxer.