RETURNED SOLDIERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 October 1919, Page 8

RETURNED SOLDIERS.

INQUIRY INTO WAR FUNDS.

ROYAL COMMISSION WANTED.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, October 24.

At to-day's sittisg of the Returned Soldiers' Association conference the subcommittee set up to investigate the working of the Soldiers' Financial Board presented a report expressing dissatisfaction with that body's methods.

The committee strongly recommended that the Government be pressed to vest the whole administration of the Act in the Repatriation Boards on the followin? grounds: (1) That the regulations will be more sympathetically construed hy reason of the local knowledge of the applicant; (2) that decentralisation will further assist the applicant, inasmuch as the board could personally come into

contact 1 with him and arrive at a conclusion without the delay now experienced; (3) thai a representative of the R.S.A. in each district be allowed to appear before the board to assist the applicant to place any evidence before the board. The following motion, passed in committee. was reported to the Advisory Council in open session: "That the executive and advisory couneil of the

N-ZitJS.A. urges upon the Government

that'a Ttoval Commission to inquire info the administration and disposition of the war funds of the Dominion which the association has previously pressed ■for, lie set up without delay, and that the orfer of reference of that commission te as previousfv laid down." Mr. Bell (Wairoal then moved that this advisory council of the N.Z.R.S.A. place on recoTd It's approval of the action of the executive in regard to the war funds taken in accordance with the .terms of the resolution passed by the <Jhristchrtrcb Conference, and in accordance with the executive's request / lay* it down that no further action be taken, except as prov'ded for in the motion Dressing for a Roval Commission. ■ V The motion was carried without disfusion. , THE LIMBLESS MEN. The Medical Pensions Committee Appointed V the conference recommended that it be stronelv urged that a man •offering from tuberculosis should reCeire not less than six months treatBent in a sanatorium. The committee considered the same ot similar reflations' shrttild he -enforced mon civilian cases of venereal disease as upon soldier caw*. Mi tq attain this end venereal disease should be made notifiable. , , , The recommendations were adivote(l. Regarding limbless men the Medical 'and Pensions Committee recommend • thrt the Government obtain an artificial ]imb expert either from Enelund or America who shall be placed in charge nf a central factory and that subbrsncha* of the factorv should he estthlish& in the four centre in* on its staff an em-rf, limb fitter, and that appliancs should he °* f ™ n issue bv post to all limbless men on application to the nearest centre. Jhe recommendations were adopted. MENTAL CASES. \fr King (Kawakawal moTed that the New Zealand Returned RoldirrV Association affirm the: principle that tne Government should establish homes in hotb the North and South Island for the treatment of returned soldiers suffering from mental trouble. Delegates protested against soldier patients being mixed with crranna. cases in mental hospitals. Jhe motion was carried OTHER BUSINESS.. A motion was passed unanimously expressing the opinion that the replies E bv Ministers to the deputation of on Wednesday last ™e "°t sufficiently definite and that the Go •mment be urged to bring down a measure giving effect to tbe rtnresentations made at the earliest possible moment. A resolution was adopted requeuing from the Minister of four tion of his action allocatm * •returned soldiers sections on the Hau raki Plains without having such sections remits and notices of ' motion were referred to the executive tnd the proceedings concluded.