FINANCING SOLDIERS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 250, 21 October 1919, Page 8

FINANCING SOLDIERS.

■SOME GRIEVANCES AIRKD. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") WELLINGTON. Monday. Strong criticism of the Soldier*' Final cial Board in regard to its methods o dealing with retrospective nssistanc was expressed by speakers at the cor ference of the X.Z.K.S. tonight. Tli question was raised by v remit moved b, Mr. N. A. Clung (Kawakawa) on bohal of the Waikato Association, as follows "That in view of the apparent unsympa thotic attitude towards application made by men of the Main Body ani earlier reinforcements, applications b made for statistics dotting out since 31s March last: (a) The number of applkm tions made for retrospective financial as sistance: (l>) the number of applicant to whom assistance has been granted." Mr. Ching said that he had assiste< 200 people to put in applications for aid but not one of them had been successful Mr. Andrews (Auckland) said that th< Financial Assistance Board was the onl? Government Department from which ai i answer wan received promptly. To hin it seemed that each letter was opened, < stereotyped reply was written out, ant the application was refused , —all in 2hours. Other speakers supported these views Mr. W. G. Morpeth. the association': representative on the Financial Assis tance Board, said many oi the com plaints were made through lack of ap preciation of the position. Mc adniittec that the form of the application waa in volved. but it was necessary for th< board to secure as much information a.possible. Under the financial assistant scheme any man earning £4 a week oi less was better oIT than he was before th< war. It was correct that the secretary ,did not put certain application* before the board, but in those caries the paper; were obviously absurd. The meeting expressed strong dissent with this method. Mr. Morpeth added that much trouble would be avoided if it was realised that financial assistance was only retrospective to .January, 1917. He added thai there was no Government interference in the scheme. Mr. Morpeth's offer to answer questions was eagerly accepted, and for hall an hour he was deluged with queries. Finally Mr. filing withdrew his remit, and moved ''That in view of the unsatisfactory manner of dealing with applications, the conference demand that the whole administration of I?he Soldiers' Financial Assistance Act be placed in the hands of the Repatriation Department." This motion was carried, and it was also decided to urge upon the Minister to back up the suggestion. The meeting thanked Mr. Morpeth for his attendance. in reply. Mr. Morpeth taid lie was prepared to show those who had complained that in nine caeca out of ten they were in the wrong.