TREATMENT OF SOLDIERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 May 1917, Page 2

TREATMENT OF SOLDIERS.

ALLEGATIONS DKNIEO BY DEFENCE MINISTER. By. Telegraph.—'Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Minister of Defence, referring to the statements made at a Dunedin publie meeting regarding the treatment of soldiers, said that the people who made the remarks were certainly not fair with regard to the financial assistance to men going on active service. , Tjhe statements made were totally inaccurate and he gave them a most emphatic denial. The Military Service Board considered the question of assistance, and if they thought it ought to be given he recommended accordingly. Until the Board,received an answer to the recommendation the man was not called for service, With regard to a man who volunteered, the same provision had to be made for him and there were a very largo number of men at the front to whom the privilege had been extended of making application for this financial assistance. It was not possible to send these men to the Military Service Board,,and the law said their casesi should bo dealt with by the Minister. As the Minister, could not himself deal with the cases he set up a. Central Board! to whieh applications were referred, , It was true that in the,,early stages of the scheme the applications came in pretty rapidly and accumulated,, but' they 'Were toeing rapidly dealt with by the board, which waa doing splenuul work. Regarding the mufti allowance Mr. Allen said it was in addition to what was provided lor every soldier. The Dunedin Association also raised the question of men who broke down in camp. He was asking the Association to supply the names of some of these as he would like to inquire into their cases. Men went into camp who did not disclose previous weaknesses to the medical board and the weaknesses were discovered in a day or two and they were discharged. The Minister could not see that these had any claim on the Government. The law as regards a man in training if his disability arose in camp from his occupation there was just ■the same as for men on active service, and the man was entitled to a pension.