WAR RELIEF

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 123, 17 February 1921, Page 9

WAR RELIEF

NECESSITY FOR CONSERVING FUNDS ANNUAL MEETING OF LOCAL ASSOCIATION

Th» fifth annual meeting of the War Relief Association of Wellington was held yesterday afternoon. The chairman of the executive, Mr. L. O. 11. Tripp, was in the chair. In moving the adoption of the annual report and balanceaheot—a precis of which has already been published—the chairman referred to the loss the association had sustained in the deaths of Messi's. I'. W. Pennyfather and John Duncan. The year had been a record one in point of busineee, 4731 claims 'having been dealt with. The work of the association was becoming of a complex nature, but, thanks to the efficiency of tho staff, it was being handled in a very satisfactory mmnar A considerable number of men were breaking down on account of their war service, and this class of case, which they would have with them for the next generation, required careful attention, and in many cases a great deal of assistance. The majority of tho societies now entirely supported the view of the Wellington Association that tho funds of the War Relief Association and kindred societies should be conserved for future use, and not wound up and distributed. The Minister of Internal Affairs and tho Returned Soldiers’ Association also endorsed the policy of the association. The association still had about £40,000 left. As regards advances already made, 75 per cent, of the recipients were repaying the amounts. The chairman paid a tribute to the generosity of certain of tho Wellington doctors in examining applicants free of charge, and of the auditors (Messrs. Watkins, Hull, Hunt and Wheeler) in giving their services free of charge. A > point made by the chairman was that , some disabled men were inclined to fight I ehy of the association, as they held the erroneous belief that it was a charitable aid society. As a matter of fact, these were the men the association wished particularly to get in touch with. Mr. D. M'Larqn, in seconding the motion, paid a tribute to the assistance rendered by tho Repatriation authorities. Cost of Administration. Reference was made by Mr. H. H. Sea- . ton to the increasing ,cost of administration, which had risen from £683 per annum in 1916 to £3939 last year. On the basis of a fund of £50,000, this worked out at eight per cent, of tho total revenue. The chairman, in reply, corrected Mr. Senton’s figures. The cost last year was £2962, as against £763 14s. lOd. in 1916. The finance committee had watched the position very closely, and in view of the largely increased volume of business handled by the association and its Increasingly difficult nature, he was confident that there had been no extravagance. Unless one was closely connected withi the work of the office, it was impossible to realise the enormous amount of work put through. As a matter of fact, the staff bad worked 1500 hours overtime during the year. Another point was that a very large amount of the association's expenditure had been on account of other societies, for which no payment was made. Tho pcssition was improving, and the finance committee hoped that by next March it would Ixs able to reduce its. expenditure by about £7OO a year. The work had become so complex that it required experts to deal with it. Mr. J. Lewis and the secretary both stated that the funds of the association were administered on a lower ratio of expenditure to income than those of any other society in New Zealand. The report and balanre-sheet were then adopted. The following retiring members were reappointed:—Messrs. G. Shirtcliffe, A. Macintosh, C. M. Luke, and S. Kirkcaldie. x r The meeting closed with a rote ot thanks to the secretary (Mr. A. O. Leach) and the staff.