R.S.A. NEWS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3538, 28 July 1920, Page 6

R.S.A. NEWS

QUESTIONS IN PARLIAMENT, (No. 2.) Mr McCombs, M.P. (Lyttelton) asked the Minister in Charge of the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Department rvliLtiicr the Government proposed to gi\o e.iOct to the following rccommendaiioim made by the T.B. Conference held at the end of May: That where a specialist certifies a man as incurable. Le shall be granted a full pension for life; that the specialist’s recommendation re pension be adhered to; that all T.B. men, on being discharged from sanatoria, receive a full and supplementary pension for a period of 12 months, and that they be reviewed for pension annually. The Hon. Mr Coates, Minister of Defence, Replied: —That these three quetetioots regarding pensions would have attention when the programme of pension legislation for the coming session was being cosidercd. That all men having been established as T.B. shall at any time during their lives be entitled to reachnission to sanatorium, in the event of a recurrence of the disease, and that they shall automatically-be-come entitled to all the benefits contained therein, free of charge, and, further, that a full pension shall operate from the date of reclassification. The Hon. M. Coates replied that the Defence Department -accepted liability for the treatment of disabilities-du.etyo or aggravated by war service,-witJhpjifc any limitation of the time after service at which the disability -njay arise. That the Government be asked to appoint four T.B. men to jthg aftepcare branch, one to each centre,..anti that a T.B. man of sanatorium ,cx.-

periencc be appointed to supervise, fire of thg after-care'branch. Tty? ’’gon, Mr. Guthrie replied tkat- thfi duties of the after-care officers entail-

ed a good deal of travelling over btyjl roads and in all weathers and it was jjpt considered that a T.B, man could do the work’without impairing hisj health. This view had been advanced and supported by the medical profeseion. Two cx-T.B. men had, however, been appointed to the after-care branch. One was looking after 'the men’s interests, and welfare, at J th’o Tauhercnikau training farm, and the Other who was attached to head offic§, would visit the T.B. men wherever they were located. If it was found nedeseary, and should the present T.B. men ILe successful, as an after-care officer, another T.B. man would be appointed. The after-care branch attends to the requirements of all disabled men, no matter what thtei’r disabilities, and therefore, the officer in charge needs a very wide experience of all matters pertaining to training and employment. Moreover, this position entailed a good deal of office work and it would not be in the best interests of a T.B. man from a health standpoint to confine him to indoor duties. That the Commissioner of Crown Lands in conjunction with the Repatriation Department shall provide an acreage suitable to the applicant and approved by the chest specialist, and that a- suitable home be erected thereon. The Hon. Mr Guthrie replied that every consideration would be given by the Land Boards of the respective districts to provide suitable land for any T.B. discharged soldiers who might ap-

ply to them. Commencement had already been made for providing areas

in the Canterbury district. That no cessation of financial or land grants under the D.S.B. Act shall be applicable to T.B. men. The Hon. Mr Guthrie replied that the continuing of advances under the D.S.S. Act to all eligible applicants would receive the early attention of Parliament. That in the event of a recurrence of a man’s trouble, after having been successfully repatriated it should be an obligation on the Repatriation Department to provide a competent substitute for the purpose of carrying on that man’s business while detained in a sanatorium. The Hon. Mr Guthrie replied that the question of ca:rying on the business of 'a soldier whose health broke down wag one of the problems which the Repatriation Department realised from the .commencement. However, the problem was not peculiar to T.B. men, but applied to all seriously disabled soldiers, and whilst the business members of our various boards and committees were always ready to assist the soldier with the best of advice and the stuff of the Department always available to keep the soldiers’ books, etc., it would obviously be impossible for the Department to keep on hand men capable of running the varied businesses which soldiers engage in. namely, engineers, watchmakers, farmers, fishermen, etc. The Department would of course be pleased to make every effort to secure a suitable man to manage the business whilst the soldier was undergoing further medical treatment and as far as farming is concerned would no doubt be able to secure a suitable substitute and supervise his work, but could not

I guarantee to inn the business ou aut- } ccssfully that there would be no loss. That where it is shown that a business has not been satisfactorily conducted while the owner is undergoing further treatment in the sanatorium, a reduction or remission of interest be made commensurate with the loss incurred. The Hon. Mr Guthrie replied I that in this connection, it should be noted that the Department gave such men the utmost consideration regarding the postponement of payment of interest and installments—indeed the Repatriation Board hns power under the Act to write off losses a soldier may incur through misfortune. That the Commissioner of Crown Lands should have authority to give preference to consumptive soldiers who have undergone treatment for 'additional financial assistance over land above the usual 'advance ;to enable them to employ extra help until they arc fit to carry on themselves. The J Hon. Mr Guthrie replied that the • granting of preference was a matter of each Land Board to decide, and dependent on the individual circumstances of the case. Every consideration would, however, be given to endeavour to meet the requirements of j applicants. ' !

That T.B. men on being discharged < from sanatoria be provided with permanently suitable shelters properly furnished with bed, bedding, etc. The Hon. Mr Coates replied, that permanently suitable shelters (including tents) had been issued to men on discharge from sanatoria since early in September. 1919. Already 95 of such had been issued. It had already been approved that the following furniture should bo provided in such case in which a shelter had been issued, if • j the patient should desire it: 1 bed- j stead, 1 mattress, 1 bed side-table, 1 | chair. , I That where a patient owns a house having a verandah the Defence Department defray the expense of having tlic verandah glassed In, In lieu of ■'

a shelter. The Hon. Mr Coates replied that provision had been made for necessary alterations to verandahs to render them- suitable fer occupation by ■ patients suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis.

r That in* I ''fie interests bT the men ami of public health, a compulsory examination be made every six months of all discharged T.B. men by a specialist or by the specialist who treated the case, the expense to be a charge on the Pensions Board. The Hon. Mr Coates replied that there was no authority for the' compulsory examination of persons unless it was considered expedient in the interests of the public health under Section 33, Public Health Act, 1908. The returned soldier. if c.mpulsorily examined, would therefore be placed under a restriction not applicable to civilians. Arrangements could always be made for those men to be examined if necessary by r specialist. Every encouragement and opportunity was given to those men to be so examined. They were periodically examined with reference to their pensions. (To be continued).