HELPING EX-SOLDIERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 60, 12 March 1926, Page 5

HELPING EX-SOLDIERS.

SPLENDID PATRIOTIC WORK.

MANY CLAIMS MADE,

DEVELOPMENT OF T.B

During the past quarter 336 applications for assistance had been considered, assistance amounting to £1432 16/4 was granted to 226 applicants, and the remaining 110 were declined. The number of cases for the past quarter was an increase of 71 over the March quarter of last year, and the expenditure increased by £304 13/10, reported Mr. T. B. Kay, secretary of the Auckland Provincial Patriotic Association yesterday at a meeting of that body, presided over by Sir James Gunson.

The board was assisting a number of men who were suffering severe disability, but not receiving war pensions. The majority of these men had applied for a war pension and had been declined, but had appealed to the War Pensions Appeal Board. Others tad applied for a pension, and their cases were under consideration by the Pensions Board. Should their applications be declined the Claims Board of the Patriotic Association would instruct them to lodge an appeal us have their cases dealt with by the War Pensions Appeal Board. The latter board is expected to arrive in Auckland at an early date. Wars Aftermath. The board was receiving many applications for assistance from men who were suffering niinor disability and were unable to secure employment suitable to their physical condition. The board also received many applications from men who had accepted work, which, was too laborious, in view of their disability, and resulted in the applicants breaking down in health, and was affording sympathetic consideration to both classes of applicants. . Cases of recurrng war disability were constantly being considered, and- it appeared certain that this class of case would require assistance from the association for ruanv years to come.

The board regretted to have to report that a number of soldiers, many of whom were discharged from the Forces. Class A (fit), were now suffering from T.B. In many of these cases it was very difficult for the men to establish war disability and thus obtain a war ■ pension. The board felt that in the great majority of oases of this nature the .disability could be reasonably assumed to be due to exposure and stress of war service, and that these men were eligible for assistance from the funds of the association.

Permanently Disabled Men.

The report of the Permanently Disabled Soldiers' Board stated that since the last report seven applications fot assistance had been considered, of which two were granted, three declined, and two deferred. The total amount voted to the two successful applicants was £450.

Since the inception of the permanently disabled soldiers' scheme, 487 men had been granted assistance. totalling £99.243 3/9, an average of £204 per man. These men were all suffering permanent war disability to the extent of 40 per cent and upwards. The assistance voted by the board was usually for the purpose of acquiring homes. The association accepted • a mortgage—usually a second—over the property for a term of ten years. The mortgage was free of interest while the soldier was owner and in possession :of ' the property, and if he was still owner and in possession at the expiration of ten years, and had made good, i.e., lived an honourable and reputable life, the mortgage was cancelled without payment. Many of the earlier mortgagee, which were for a term of five years, were falling due! and in all cases where the conditions had been complied with they were being cancelled, "The work of the board was steadily decreasing, but there were still a good number of permanently disabled ' men who had not yet made any application for assistance under the echeme, but who might do so at a later date" The Association's Finance. The total funds of the association at November 30, 1925, amounted to £153,494 5/2. Since that date the sum of £3001 2/ had been received for interest on investments, £4 6/8 for donations, and £716 2/10 refunds from southern patriotic societies, etc., making a total of £157,215 16/8 to be accounted for. The expenditure under all headings since November 30, 1925, amounted to £3716 18/, leaving a balance on hand- at February 28, 1920, of £153,498 18/8.