WAR RELIEF FUNDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 138, 13 June 1929, Page 24

WAR RELIEF FUNDS.

THE PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION.

ANOTHER BUSY YEAR. HELPING DISABLED MEN. Over £20,000 was spent by the Auckland Provincial Patriotic and War Relief Association in the year ended March 31, last, and it still continues its good work of helping returned soldiers and their dependents coming within the scope of its operations. The year was a very hard one, chiefly owing to the lack of employment, and appeals for assistance were very numerous. According to the annual report of the executive, .which was presented at the annual meeting' of the association this afternoon, the year opened with a credit balance of• £133,072 1/4; interest on investments amounted to £7883 1/3, and donations amounting to £293.7/8 were, received. A sum of £800 was i received from the National War Funds Council to be expended on assistance to unemployed soldiers. That made a total of £142,048 10/3. Disbursements on all were £20,349 3/5, of which the principal itnms were:— Auckland Claims Board, £8349 17/; provincial branches (13), £744 5/10; Permanently Disabled Soldiers' Board, £1804 0/4; local relief B fund, £5650 6/4; Veterans' Home, £800 0/2. The balance in hand at the end of the period was £121,699 6/10/ of which amount £120,731 10/1 was at the credit of the A fund, and' £907 10/9 at the credit of the B fund.

Claims for Assistance. The Claims Board, which deals with applications for assistance from sick or wounded soldiers in Auckland, had had an extremely busy time. The board held 96 sittings during the year and dealt with G558 applications. The applications considered by the branches were not included in this number. The adverse economic conditions which had prevailed during the year had rendered it very difficult, if not impossible, for many disabled men to secure suitable employment while so many fit men were out of work. The past year had again demonstrated that many men were suffering from recurring war disability. A number of applications for assistance were received from men who had never previously ..pplied, but who stated they were suffering from the effects of their war service. That class of applicant received sympathetic consideration by the Claims Board, and their cases were carefully investigated, and where it appeared that the disability could reasonably be attributed to war service, financial assistance was granted. When it had been conridered necessary applicants had been medically examined and their cases represented to the War Pensions Board for consideration of that board.

The B fund was established for the relief of distress in the city of Auckland arising from the war. The claims on the board had been very heavy iridecd during the past year. The committee continued its arrangement with the Auckland City Council to provide work for returned men nominated by the association, on the understanding that the association would defray half of the wages paid. A similar arrangement was also made with the Onehunga Borough Council. The work provided was of very great assistance to a large number of unemployed soldiers, and was much appreciated by them. The executive received a sum of £800 from the National War Funds Council, for assistance of unemployed soldiers, and the amount was gratefully received and expended. The Returned Soldiers' Club was subsidised to the extent of £07 10/ during the year. The subsidy had now been discontinued owing to the fund being practically exhausted. A grant of £100 was made to the Mayoress' War Memorial Library Committee, and a sum of £880 0/2 was transferred to the. Veterans' Home Account, this being the loss on the working accoilnt of the home for the previous two years. The balance at the credit of the fund was now reduced to £907 10/9. Disabled. The Permanently Disabled Soldiers' Board continued to meet at regular intervals, and was administering the permanently disabled soldiers' scheme on the lines laid down by the executive in 1919. Since the inception of the scheme, 534 permanently,, disabled soldiers had been granted assistance amounting to £103,765 3/8. Qnly men suffering permanent war disability to the extent of 40 per cent and upwards were eligible for assistance under the scheme. The assistance granted was mainly to enable the grantees to procure homes, but in a few cases assistance had been granted, to enable the soldiers to enter into business. The committee was satisfied that its grants under the scheme had been of very real assistance, and had been much appreciated by the men unfortunately suffering permanent disability. The sub-committee, comprising Messrs E. J. Phelan, A. G. Lunn, and E. F. Andrews, continued to attend to the requirements of the inmates of the T.B. shelters, Auckland Hospial, and Evelyn Firth Home, Parnell. New T.B. shelters erected adjacent to the Public Hospital were much superior to the old shelters in the Domain. The association provided newspapers, games, books, magazines, gramophone records, wireless, and cane for basket making, while the services of a barber are provided for both institutions. There were 14 men in the Evelyn Firth Home and .15 men in the T.B. shelters. The report also made, reference to the satisfactory state of things at the Veterans' Home, Avith its 26 inmates. Thanks were expressed to entertainers, especially Miss McAneny and her pupils. The deficit on the working account for the year was £228.