WAR FUNDS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 51, 23 November 1917, Page 6

WAR FUNDS

MEETING OF WELLINGTON EXECUTIVE. Tho executive of tho Wellington Wnr Relief Association met yesterday, the chairman, Mr. L. 0.. H. Tripp, presid- * The statement of accounts show ed that the investments bf the association on October 31, 1917, amounted to £75,214 10s., and the total assets to £75,321 7s. 3d. The expenditure for the month of Ootober amounted to £1279 14s.' 10d.,. and the income to £775 9s. lid., leaving an excess of expenditure amounting to £504 4s. lid. to be paid out of capital. The executive agreed to make an additional grant of £150 to tho Church Army at the rate of £50 per month. The.decision of tEo War Relief Association to pay 255. per week for board and lodging supplied to returned soldiers and others sent l.y the association, under written order, to the Returned Soldiers' Hostel, Nov/town, was confirmed.

The report of the R.'lief- Cimmittee stated that the committee ii.-et on ten occasions since kst meeting of the executive, and dealt with 372 applications. of tho. committee wns'strndil.y increasing, as evidiwuid r.y comparing the number of applications received during the six months ended April 30, 1017, with those dealt with during tho six months ended October 31, 1917. During the former period 120-5 cases were dealt with, averaging 201 per month; but during the latter term 2002 applications, averaging 334 per month, were before the committee. Thus, in six months, the increase, amounted to no les6 than'66 J per cent.

x"lt. should be remembered," stated the report, "that owing to Wellington being the military headquarters and geographical centre of the Dominion, 50 per cent, of the applications received have to be referred not only to societies in all parts of the Dominion, but also to nil the" Australian States, to Canada, and to England. Tho volume of correspondence and financial adjustment thus entailed far exceeds that of any other society in the Dominion, and keeps the three typists busily engaged. For instance, during tho present month the association will receive and dispatch over 1500 letters and telegrams, will deal with more than five hundred cheques, every one of which has to (be recorded on tho finance cards. The activities of the association are not confined merely to action in connection with requests from soldiers and their dependants Tor assistance. Many inquiries bearing upon matters of policy are referred ■to us by the executive committees of other societies all over the Dominion, with the request thnt we state our ittitude and advise them how we act under similar circumstances. We are consulted daily by many people in search of information as to how and wherp application should be made for war -pensions, civil pensions, separation and children's allowances, ance by tfto Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board, etc., and the amount of work involved in assisting such applicants is very great, and necessitates frequent interruptions in the work of the staff. Tt is a pleasure to state that many societies have now authorised us to deal with applications concerning them as in our judgment is necessary; and to mention that the relationship existing between ourselves and all the other bodies engaged in similar work, also with the Salvation Army, Y.M.C.A., St. John Ambulance, Society for the' Protection of Women and Children, many and vario'ils rither bodies, and all branches of tho Dpfence Department, is of a most friendly nature." It was decided that the annual meeting of. the association should be held, in the Town Hal! Concert Chamber on Tuesday, December 11. Some other matters wore dealt with' in committee.