WAR RELIEF.

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 56, 29 November 1919, Page 11

WAR RELIEF.

HEAVY DEMANDS ON FUNDS MEETING OF ASSOCIATION " A meeting of tho 'War Belief Afisociation of Wellington was held yesterday. There wero present Mejsrs. L.. 0. 11. Tripp (in 'tho chair), C. M. Luke. J. J. I.ewis,. D. A. Ewen, J. M'lntosli, Jolin Hutcheson, W. Ferguson, and A. R. Atkinson.' Tho acting officer in charge of the War Fluids Office (Mr. George Davies) wrote concerning a sum of ,E2OO raised ,by the New Zealand Natives' Association, tho Boxing Association, and the Rugby Union. Mr, Davies had interviewed the treasurers holding the fund, and they had agreed to hand the money over to tho Wai Relief Association. The_ chair--731.1H expressed satisfaction regarding tho diligence of the War Funds Office in this matter. Tho resignation' of Mr. Clement Watson, after four years', sorvice, an honorary intorviower, was received. Mr. Watson had found it impossible owing-to pressure of other duties to continuVtho work. A resolution thanking Mr. Watson for his assistance wAs carried, and he was appointed to the vacancy on the executive created by tho retirement of Mr. Alexander Macintosh. , ' Applicants for Relief. THie Applications Committee reported having dealt with M cases since last meeting. ...... The total number of .applications received during tho perio'd October 31. to November 27. 191!),-. inclusive, was 573; comprising 21S new applications and 050 renewals and reconsiderations. "Tho heavy payments ' made . by war expenses in respect to war gratuities, the report st"tes, "has effected a reduction in the number of new claims received during the last three -weeks, and the opportunity has been taken as far •as possible to clear up arrears of work, the result Wng tl-.at at date there are onlv 12!)' caseo in which action is incomplete. of these, nineteen are our responsibility, and 110 a charge. upon kindred ornanisatioifc. "The committee has again been renuested to assist n large number of men rehabilitated' froni one. to four years ago: in some cases now responsibilities had been thrust upon the applicant by ths added dependency of female' relatives —unable to assist themselves—resultant unon Hie death of tho father as well as of other male members of the family; it would appear to.be beyond doubt that claims of this description will' continue to increase, ultimately demanding a considerable amount of attontion by your committee. "The reports that have been submittea' hv the committee to the last three meetings of the executive committee have set out more' fully the diversity of manv of the applications / that have beer, dealt, with, and the complexity of the nature of some of them; it is hardlv mviessaiv. therefore, '.to go into the matter again, hut it may be added that

there has' been no general alteration in thu nature of th«> assistance asked Granted during the last four weeks, other than nerhanb, tin* tendency of; the claps to heconu' still mora difficult of solution, more particularly those with which the committee is not in personal contact. The Funds Available.

The Finance Committee . reported as follows: —Your committee met twice, 0110 oi'dinaiv anil on© special meeting, ana ccijsidered four applications for loans, totalling and granted all of them. Two wero submitted soldier-settlers renniri l immediate assistance supplenientarv to that granted by tho Crown; one of the men liad quite recently secured bis land, tut was unable to pay for labour rotiuired to complete fencing, urgently required to prevent his stock 6traving. whilst tho other;'who had been successfully working his property for two vears. had been seriously embarrassed bv a very bad season last year. The third claim was forwarded per medium of' the Repatriation Department, Blenheim, having becn-submitted by one of-their beneficiaries, requiring supplementary ' assistance without which ho wonltf nrobably have .experienced ex-treme-difficulty in establishing himsoli. in -the; carrying .businesshe had - purchased. The fourth application was tor assistance to enable a senii-permanently disabled soldier, discharged. three years ago, to acquire his own residence for 'limself and family. ' Tho following financial statement was submitted bv the secretary to the monthly meeting held on Tuesday, November 11. 1919 Receipts and payments account for the month of October, 1919: War funtf account, balance, at banlt, .£l3l 9s. 5d.; imprest account, balance at hank. .£lO9 lGs. 10d.: total (is. 3d.: investments, ,£CG,S9O lis. 5d.: . statement of total funds ns at October 31, .1910: Investments, .£66.390 -lis. sd;: current accounts, <£541 6s. 3d.: nettv cash in hand, ,£2O: total, jj(i7.152 os. Bd.- Income an;l expenditure account for the month of .October, 1919. Exnenditiire. 3s. Id.; income, .£1035 ss. 6d.: excess of expenditure over inco'me. i 1923 17s. 7d. ,