PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 146, 21 June 1923, Page 3

PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

AUCKLAND ASSOCIATION. AX ANNUAL REVIEW. L The eighth annual report of the Aueki land Provincial Patriotic and War Ret lief Association, to be presented at the ; annual meeting to be held on Wednesday ! next, states that the period under re- , view has been a busy one and the asso- ; ciation continues to serve a most useful purpose. Its work has been greatly for :' the benefit of many returned men and • their dependents. • The year commenced with a. credit , balance of £151,124 S/4. interest or. investments amounted to £11,022 3/1 . and receipts from other sources £4504 • 10/11, making a total of £100.051 2/4. , The total disbursements for the year L amounted to £14,201 10/9, of which the i principal payments are as follows: — ■ Auckland Claims Board £4418 7/7, , L Auckland Permanently Disabled Soldiers' , Board £4917 10/3, provincial branches . £1049 4/10. The balance on hand at the . end of the period is £152.359 11/7, of . which amount £147,32S 10/G is at the . credit of "A" fund and £5031 1/1 at the [ credit of "B" fund. In connection with ; the "A" fund the Claims Board, which deals with applications from sick and ! wounded soldiers, has considered 1724 cases, a fairly large number of applications being from men suffering from recurring war disability. Many were also , received from men discharged as fit, but ; who subsequently developed war disa- , • bility. A large proportion of the cases i were of an involved nature which neces- . Isitated medical reports. This is a pro- , Ivincial fund raised in 1915 for tlie speci- \ fie object of relief of and assistance to the sick, wounded or incapacitated or . their dependents. The fund throughout ; the eight years has 'heen administered strictly in terms of that obligation, and there has •been no diversion whatever from the original purpose. The fund is not one from which assistance can be given to returned soldiers simply on , the ground of war service, neither is it a . fund from which relief may be voted for . the alleviation of civilian distress on tlie part of returned men or their depen- • dents. This point has not been sufficiently understood at times. The operations under the "B" fund are quite distinct from those of the "A" . fund. Tho *'B" fund represents the balance of the original moneys raised in 1914, plus increments to tlie fund during subsequent years. The fund is held for the relief of distress arising from the war in the city of Auckland and for general patriotic purposes. It will, therefore, be realised that its expenditure may be authorised on a very wide basis. "iVhen the relief committee, which for some years administered this fund, ■ disbanded, the expenditure was greatly curtailed on the ground that adequate Government pensions and the re-absorp-tion of returned men into civilian life rendered unnecessary the continuation of this class of work which was imperative : durig the war period. The expenditure during the past year has been small, the ' amount paid in relief being £33 10/. The ■ balance to the credit of the fund as at • -larch 31, 1923 was £5031 1/1. The loss ! on the working of the Returned Soldiers' Club and the loss in connection with the '. Veterans' Home are charged to this ac- [ count. The administration of this fund • would continue on the terma outlined. ; The Board administering tlie pcrman--1 ently disabled soldiers' scheme, had since , its inception granted assistance to 415, -• the grants authorised totalled £57,905 ■ 13/1), of which sum £52,250 3/S has been , actually paid. The work in connection . with the T.B. shelters, Evelyn Firth Home. King George's Hospital," Kotorua, , and the Veterans' Home is reviewed. In regard to the last-named there was an , actual deficiency on the working account for the year of £_S3 11/8, due to the fact that the Government had withdrawn a subsidy which had been paid for many years. This was not contemplated by the executive when taking over the home. In the course of their report the hon. treasurers. Messrs. A. S. Bankart and E. A. Craig, state that they had brought to account the substantial asset repre- , sented by the Returned Soldiers' Club I which cost £24,050 12/11. During the . year certain investments in war certificates and to local bodies had matured, • totalling £37,132; also mortgages on an estate amounting to £13,352 4/. Of j these the sum of £4(523 4/ was paid off ; and the treasurers had granted renewals ; to the extent of £S72n for short terms at the current rate of interest. They ; had purchased Xew Zealand Government bonds (£6800) for £0557 7/U, and had ' placed £5000 on deposit in the Post ; Office and £28.020 13/10 on fixed deposit ; with the Bank of New Zealand, matur- • ing at convenient dates. Cash in hand and in bank and at the credit of the ; branches totalled £0114 12/7, while furniture in the office was stated at £3*2 G/4 •■ and refunds due to other Patriotic • Societies amounted to £337 17/S The l total accumulated funds in their nosses- ' sion amounted to £178.400 14/10 of » Which £1059 4/ was held to trust' for various beneficiaries under retrospective 1 and gratuity allowances, leaving £177.341 I 10/10 invested. r