WAR RELIEF.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15464, 17 December 1915, Page 8

WAR RELIEF.

POSITION OP CREWS OF TRANSPORTS. (rSESS ASSOCIATION' TKLEGBAM.) WELLINGTON, December 16. The Wellington .War Relief Association Executive' discussed the rates of relief to-day. The chairman said the Auckland Association had gone into the matter very carefully, and hud drawn out a schedule of maximum relief allowed in different cases. He suggested that it might be wise to adopt the Auckland scale, but copies of the scale would first of all be supplied to the executive for their careful consideration. Mr C. M. Luke said it was hoped they would be able to have a uniform scale throughout the Dominion. Mr John Hutcheson: "That could be adjusted by the various executives later on." Mr Hutcheson drew attention to the position of the crews of merchant vessels used as transports and a.s hospital ships. He thought these men should be included in the Association's objective under the heading of auxiliary services. They ought to be subject to military discipline to prevent these important'scrvieos being hung up by strikes or anything of that sort, and he thought also that in justice to the men and their dependents, in case of a transport or hospital ship being "submarined," they ought to rank for pension and so forth as h' on active service. The chairman .*aid that to his mind there was no question but that the men would come under the Association 7 :; scheme. It was wide enough to cover them. (Hoar, hoar.) He suggested that Mr Hutcheson look into tha matter, with a view to bringing up a definite resolution asking the Government to extend the Pensions Act in the direction indicated. Finally. Mr L. O. Tripp and Mr Hutcheson were appointed to look into the whole matter, especially with a view to pensions, and to bring down a report on the subject.