WAR RELIEF ASSOCIATION

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2778, 24 May 1916, Page 9

WAR RELIEF ASSOCIATION

MANY CASES DEALT WITH. The Relief Committee of the War Relief Association now meets at least three orfour times a month, and the hvo meetings already held this month have • extended over two sittings. Last weeks' meeting had to be adjourned owing to the large number of cases ; 77 cases were dealt with, making a total of 141 since thp beginning of the month. In addition, iuno applications for advances to enable the applicants to settle on the land were received. As any scheme to finance soldiers on the 'land must necessarily bo a big one, and as it is a question of principle, it was decided to iuniish each member of tho executive with a special report, in order that the question could bo considered at tho next meeting oi the executive. The Hon. J. Drysdaie Brown, of Melbourne, attended last week's meeting by spcciai invitation, in order to make comparisons between tho methods of the Wellington Association and those of tho Lord Mayor's Patriotic i'und of Melbourne. Mr. Brown was well satisfied with the v/orking system, and was astonished at the number of applications that had been considerwl by inu association since the beginning of the year. Mr. Brown submitted some very interesting figures as regards allowances made to in Melbourne, and discussed tho various methods adopted in connection with tho Patriotic Fund in Victoria.

A letter of thanks, typical if numerous expressions of appreciation which are continually being received by the . association, wa9 read from a thankful mother of a family of fivo children. This woman was enabled to regain her children from a receiving home in another centre, and, us a result of the eirorts of the association, especially on the part of Mrs. J. 15. MacEwan, the woman was able to set t.p a home for herself and children in Wellington. Extract from letter t> the secretary: "Many 'thanks to yourself anij the War Relief Association for your grant of weekly. I did not expect it, but I am very thankful for it, and the children and myself aro going on very nicely and are very happy in our little flat; thanks to Mrs. MacEwan for her great kindness. I nerer thought I could be so happy and contented again. I did not want to come and take up your vuluablo time by telling you." A "Soldier's Wifo" wrote to the editct of a local paper complaining of her insufll. cion't moans, and the secretary at ones endeavoured to get into touch with the correspondent, 'i'lie public are requested to promptly apprise the association of any cases requiring relief. ; In addition to the names of members already published, Mr. 1?. W. Manton has been olected a lifo member. The association is now prepared to enrol annual mombcrs on payment of n, subscription of 'ss. a year, ana payment of one sum of £5 ss. entitles a person to a life membership. '