PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 134, 18 March 1948, Page 6

PATRIOTIC FUNDS

NEED FOR CONSERVATION A meeting- of representatives of Welfare Committees of the Canterbury Province was held in Christchurch on Tuesday, when several matters of interest were discussed and decision's) as to policy arrived at. Ashburton was represented by the Mayor, Mr E. C. Bathurst and Mr R. C. Major. Mr W. S. Mac Gibbon, tor the Standing Committee, gaye the reason for calling the meeting, which was to reach unanimity in the spending of patriotic funds, and to explain the necessity for conserving these funds. He .-fated that the Canterbury fund amounted to £151,439 at the end of September, 1947. and would need to be expended at the rate of £5641 annually, to be liquidated in 50 years. At the present time it was being expended at the rate of £IO,OOO per annum. Two resolutions were carried. The first was “That Welfare Committees be instructed that where ex-service-men are in receipt of the award wage, grants be made only in exceptional circumstances.” A further resolution was “That Welfare Committees be informed that: where application for relief is made following a rehabilitation loan, the utmost care be exercised in making a grant as, in every case where a lehabilitation loan has been granted, the financial position oi the applicant has been thoroughly investigated and considered satisfactory by the Rehabilitation and State Advances Departments.”

Mr C. Miln, who seconded the resolution said he considered that it was foi- the Government to see that rehabilitation loan© granted for the purpose of building or buying a house were sufficient to cover the cost —present loans were not sufficient but patriotic funds should not, he used for this purpose. Mr Bathurst stated that the new Patriotic Fund Board Act, which was recently passed, gave the lollowing definition of how monies of the fund -.-. hall be expended: “The relief, assistance and support of discharged servicemen who may he suffering from disablement or sickness (whether attributable lo war service or otherwise) or out ol employment or otherwise in need and of the dependents of any such discharged servicemen.” A table of figures was presented at the meeting showing the- numbers of applications received, the number of grants made and the value of grants made for the year ended April 19, 1947, The Canterbury figures were 3130 applications received. Grant's made totalled 2106, and the amounts granted £10,581 14s 9(1, of which £IOOO was granted the country districts.