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1931. NEW ZEALAND.

DEFENCE COMMITTEE (REPORTS OF THE). (Colonel McDONALD, Chairman.)

Presented to the House of Representatives, and ordered to be printed-

ORDERS OF REFERENCE. Extracts from the Journals of the House of ftepresevtatives. Tuesday, the 21st Day of July, 1931. Ordered, " That a Select Committee be appointed, consisting of ten members, to deal with all. matters in connection with defence; with power to call for persons, papers, and records; three to be a quorum : the Committee to consist of Mr. Barnard, Mr. Dickie, Mr. Heaiy, Mr. Jordan, Colonel McDonald, Mr. McDougall, Captain Rushworth, Mr. Samuel* Mr. Waite, and the Mover." —(Hon. Mr. Cobbe.) Tuesday, the 28th Day of , July, 1931. Ordered, " That all petitions not finally dealt with during the session of 1930 be again referred to the same Committee as they were referred to during the said session, and that all petitions received during the first session of 1931 be dealt with as if they had been received this session."—(Right Hon. Mr. Forbes.)

INDEX.

No. j Petitions, &c. ! Page. | 9 (Sess. 2) ! Bartlett, Arthur E. . . .. j 2 120 (Sess. 2) ! Bidwell, Mary M. . . .. 3 169/30 • . Cameron, Frederick .. .. 2 41 (Sess. 2) Parr, Thomas .. .. .. | . 3 Final report .. .. 4 15 (Sess. 1) Houghton, Mary 11. . . .. 2 181 (Sess. 2) Laing, Robert F. . . .. 3 18 (Sess. 2) Mattocks, Elsie A. M. .. j 2 12 (Sess. 2) Milroy, William . .. j 2 1 (Sess. 1) Morgan, William J. .. .. 2

No. I Petitions, &c. ! Page. 38 (Sess. 2) j MeAllum, Alan L. .. .. j 2 9 (Sess. 1) j McKinnon, Charles . ... .. 3 70 (Sess. 2) Redmond, Margaret .. .. 3 74 (Sess. 2) Robbie, Sarah L. , . .. 3 79 (Sess. 2) Sotnmers, Henry J. .. .. 3 Special report (re Chairman) .. 4 Special report (re Clerk) .. 4 36 (Sess. 2) Tapp, Trevor L. • ■ .. j 3 13 (Sess. 1) Wooding, M. E. .. 2

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"REPORTS. No. 9/31 (Sess. 2).—Petition of Arthur E. Bartlett, of Papatoetoe, Auckland. Praying for payment of pension granted on account of disability caused through wounds received in the war to be made retrospective. I am directed to report that the Committee has no recommendation to make. 18th August, 1931.

No. 15/31 (Sess. I).—Petition of Mary Helen Houghton, of Balmain, Sydney, Australia. Praying for separation and children's allowances with retrospective pension as wife of soldier who served with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. I am directed to report that the Committee recommends that the petition be referred to the Government for favourable consideration. 18th August, 1931.

No. 12/31 (Sess. 2).—Petition of William Milroy, of Wellington. Praying that petitioner be granted forty-three days' accrued leave in addition to leave granted on retirement. I am directed to report that the Committee has no recommendation to make. 18th August, 1931.

No. 13/31 (Sess. I).—Petition of M. Ē. Wooding, of Auckland. Praying for assistance on account of disability to earn a livelihood owing to war services. I am directed to report that the Committee has no recommendation to make. 18th August, 1931.

No. 1/31 (Sess. I).—Petition of William John Morgan, of Auckland. Praying for relief in respect of disability owing to accident sustained by being shot while carrying out his duties as Range Warden on the Penrose Range in 1905. I am directed to report that the Committee recommends that the petition be referred to the Government for most favourable consideration. 20th August, 1931.

No. 18/31 (Sess. 2). —Petition of Elsie Adeline Mary Mattocks, of Auckland. Praying that a war widow's pension be granted to petitioner and her two children, or that the case be referred back to the Appeal Board for reconsideration. I am directed to report that in the opinion of the Committee the petition should be referred to the Government for favourable consideration with a recommendation that a certificate as to the cause of death of the petitioner's husband should be obtained from Dr. Casement Aickin. 20th August, 1931.

No. 169/30. —Petition of Frederick Cameron, of Auckland. Praying for relief in respect of disability caused through illness contracted during the South African campaign. I am directed to report that the Committee has no recommendation to make. 2nd September, 1931.

No. 38/31 (Sess. 2).—Petition of Alan L. McAllum, of New Plymouth. Praying that he be granted a pension in respect of his wife and two children. I am directed to report that the Committee recommends that the petition be referred to the Government for favourable consideration, and that the subject-matter of this petition be taken into account when the War Pensions Act is under review. 2nd September, 1931.

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No. 70/31 (Sess. 2). —Petition of Margaret Redmond, of Auckland. Praying for a compassionate allowance. I am directed to report that in the opinion of the Committee this petition should be referred to the Government for favourable consideration, with a recommendation that the Public Service Superannuation Act be amended to ensure better provision being made for the widows of superannuated public servants. Bth September, 1931.

No. 74/31 (Sess. 2). —Petition of Sarah Louisa Robbie, of Lower Hutt. Praying for payment of separation allowance in respect of the period during which her husband was absent from New Zealand on service with the Imperial Forces in the Great War. Ī am directed to report that the Committee has no recommendation to make. Bth September, 1931.

No. 79/31 (Sess. 2). —Petition of Henry J. Sommers, of Hawera. Praying that he be granted a war pension owing to disability due to service in the Great War. I am directed to report that the Committee is of opinion that this petition should be referred to the Government for favourable consideration. Bth September, 1931.

No. 36/31 (Sess. 2). —Petition of Trevor L. Tapp, of Christchurch. Praying that further institutional treatment be granted to him in respect of ill health contracted in France during the Great War. I am directed to report that the Committee has no recommendation to make. 9th September, 1931.

No. 9/31 (Sess. 1). —Petition of Charles McKinnon, of Auckland. Praying for employment, pension, or assistance on account of disability which is the result of illnesses contracted while on service with the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy in 1924. I am directed to report that the Committee is of the opinion that this petition should be referred to the Government for favourable consideration. 17th September, 1931.

No. 120/31 (Sess. 2).—Petition of Mary M. Bidwell, of Whenuakura. Praying for renewal of pension for herself and son as wife and child of soldier who died as a result of illness contracted during the Great War. 1 am directed to report that the Committee is of the opinion that this petition should be referred to the Government for most favourable consideration, with a recommendation that the petitioner be granted a compassionate allowance. 17th September, 1931.

No. 41/31 (Sess. 2). —Petition of Thomas Parr, of Wellington. Praying that he be granted —(a) Reinstatement in his position in the Defence Forces, or (b) compensa tion, or (c) pension, or (d) permanent employment until the 31st December, 1934, which would have been the date of his normal retirement. I am directed to report that in the opinion of the Committee the petition should be refeired to the Government for most favourable consideration, with the suggestion that the petitioner be cr ; :< 9Ū in his present position until the 31st December, 1934. 27th October, 1931.

No. 181/31 (Sess. 2). —Petition of Robert Foster Laing, of Napier. Praying that he may be awarded a war pension or, in the alternative, a compassionate allowance. I am directed to report that in the opinion of the Committee the petition should be referred to the Government for consideration, with a view to providing free medical treatment for the petitioner. 7th November, 1931.

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Special Report. 1 have the honour to report that the members of the Defence Committee desire to place on record their cordial appreciation of the ability, tact, and unfailing courtesy during the session manifested by the Chairman, Colonel McDonald, in the conduct of the business of the Committee ; and the members of the Committee further desire that this resolution be recorded in the minutes of the Committee, 1 :and,also that it be reported to the House. 7th November, 1931. W. E. Barnard, Member of the Committee.

Special Report. 1 have the honour to report that the Defence Committee desires to place on record its appreciation of the efficient services rendered by the Clerk of the Committee, Mr. L. F. Grimstone. 7th November, 1931.

Final Report. I have the honour to report that the Defence Committee, consisting of ten members, has held eight meetings, with an average attendance of six members. Sixteen petitions were considered and reported on. 7th November, 1931. T. W. McDonald, Chairman.

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (370 copies), £3 ss.

By Authority: W. A. G. Skinner, Government Printer, Wellington. —1931.

Price ;id.}

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