HOOD-MONCRIEFF FUND

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 245, 17 July 1928, Page 12

HOOD-MONCRIEFF FUND

COMMITTEE’S FINAL MEETING

The Mayor (Mr. G. A. Troup) presided at the final meeting of the Hood-Mon-crieff Fund Committee held in the Mayor's Room yesterday. The chairman said that in accordance with the resolution passed at the' meeting, a letter had been sent to all donors of £lO or over (representing over £llOO of the fund), which set out the Public 'Trustee’s suggestion as to the disposal of the fund and the alternative proposal (that additional cash should be given to Mrs. Moncrieif, sen.). He read out a long list of replies, which nearly all approved the Public Trustee’s proposal, so that those who replied accounted for £ll6O of the money donated. The only one in opposition to the Public Trustee’s proposal was the one from the Shetland Society, of which Mr. J. Laurenson was president. In consultation with Mr. H. P. Blundell he thought that they might give a little to Mrs. Moncrieff to furnish a room, and he now proposed that £oo be donated to Mrs. Moncrieff. He moved in that direction. Mrs. Pow seconded the motion. Mr. R. Semple thought that they might have made the sum for Mrs. Moncrieff, sen., the sum mentioned by Mr. Laurenson, as he was afraid that the people written to were ■ not aware that this old lady was practically destitute. The Mayor gave a statement of the account, which showed Mrs. Moncrieff, sen., would have the £5O voted and. that the £750 would be invested on her behalf. The balance of the money—£BB6 3s. lid.—would be divided- equally between the two widows (to be handed over in cash). - - - : The total receipts for the fund were £2156 19s. Bd. To this had to be added £2l Os. 7d. interest, whilst £52 4s. 7d. was deducted for expenses, leaving £2125 15s. Bd. Off that amount they had to deduct the sum of £lB for an account received from McMahon and Co. in Australia. Taking into consideration what had already been paid out to the widows and Mrs. Moncrieff, sen., a balance of £1686 3s. lid. remained, which the meeting decided to distribute as above set out. . . Mr. J. Laurenson voiced the opinion that social work in which he was interested was made very hard by the lack of reciprocity between the various parts of the Empire in the matter of old-age pensions. Mrs. Moncrieff, sen., was 69 years of age, yet she would have to live in New Zealand another fourteen years before she was entitled to a pension. ~ Mr. Troup said if it were not so they would have shiploads of old people coming to New Zealand. Mr. Laurenson said a better provision could be made if there, was reciprocity between the United Kingdom, -Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, but the farthest that bad been got so far was to have the matter brought before a committee of the British House of Parliament.- , , , Votes of thanks were passed to the collectors and to the Mayor for, inaugurating the fund, and to the trustees (Messrs. Troup and Blundell). Mr. Troup also mentioned the invaluable assistance given by the Press of the city.