WAR FUNDS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 14, 17 July 1923, Page 2

WAR FUNDS

ADMINISTRATION AND

CONTROL

POLICY OF THE COUNCIL

HEALTHY FINANCIAL POSITION.

Generally satisfactory results are shown by the annual' report of the Eociety tp have been achieved by the National WaiFunds Council during the eighth year Pf its activities. Amongst the chief items of the year's' work were the consolidation of the general policy of the council and the establishment pf offices in Brandon street, Wellington, "fpr the purpose of securing the efficient administration and control of war- funds."

Tho annual report states that responsibility, for relief and assistance to exImperial and other allied soldiers hag bean undertake)} by the council; con> djtipns under which assistance may' ba given by war relief associations- have been standardised, and repayments: are, .periodically, made, to the EOcieties granting relief, in the terms applied by the .reciprocity' agreement between war relief agEQpjatipng. The method of concentrating; funds in'the'provincial 'war'relief associations, so successfully 'followed by the War Funds Office in the past, has been encouraged in every way with Rood results, and the efforts of the Internal Affairs Department in this direction have had the fullest assistance of the executive committee. Provision has been made for soldiers dependent pn '(societies; of whose funds have been exhausted to be provided for from the council's funds, and in' cases where patriotic organisations have foiind their . legitimate activities narrowed through. want' pf ready cash, arrangement? have been " made either, tp purchase their securities or to loan sufficient money for their' operations to continue till securities mature. This arrangement \vi}l m3intain; on the special terms laid clown by the counpil. During the year legacies amounting to £}3§9 were paid to the council's funds as a result of the beneficence of the." undermentioned citizens of Wellington:— Mrs. Louisa Rotheram, fJS7D ilg 2d, for blinded soldiers, total amount on bequest, 51945 11s a*; Mr.'. W. "tittle, N.Z.E. Forces, ■ Wellington, £548 8s 9d, forgeneral-assistance to sick and wounded soldiers, total bequest, £1786 5s 6d; Miss. Saraji Brock, of Wellington, £250,, for sick and wounded soldiers, total value of bequest, £1192" 19s 4'd."" Suitable appreciation of the public-spiritedness of the donors has been conveyed to the nextrof-kin. HOW FUNDS AXE SPENTV The system of disposing of buildings and • equipment no ,longer required for the purposes for which they were established has been maintained during the year; sales amounting to £300 were completed and the realisation , paid to the sick and wounded soldiers' account. Consideration of applications for relief and assistance to .returned soljders of the Expeditionary Forces and their dependants who "could not be covered by the War relief a^Kooiatjons have been given careful consideration on the.basis of ne,cessity.,.and.'the merits.of each.;case;,ajid under this heading,; after deducting-re-payments, the sum of. £5175 was provided during the year.' » ■ ' ' , During the .year 13 students, who had been supplied with educational grants under the council's bursary scheme com pleted their courses in agriculture (2), arts (3), dentistry (2), civil, engineering (!), and medicine (s)—at a cost of £1035. There now remain.at Otago University 11 medical students, ten of whom are in their final year, and the. other will complete his course in March, 1925. The reports of the Professorial Boards have been.satisfactory, and the conditions governing the bursaries have been complied with. The expenditure for the ensuing year will be £545. Post and Telegraph concessions having,been withdrawn by the Government, a weekly notice covering the. notifications of giants made to Imperial men throughout the Dominion, particulars of unsatisfactory , cases, and precedent decisions and matters of general inlWegt to Relief Associations is issued from the council's office, and apart from economy, in postal expenditure by the various societies, it is hoped that the arrangement will assist in the 1 establishment of a, uniform system of granting relief throughout the Dominion. The function of providing extra comforts to soldiers in hospitals and sanatoria has been placed in the hands of N the British Red Cross and Order of St. John, Incorporated, with excellent results. Overlapping that, had been occurring in the past has been eliminated, with the result that while • full provision is made for ' the comfort and recreation of -the soldiers, considerable economy has resulted from the arrangement. A scheme to centralise and control the disbuaement of Maori funds, in the. interest of the Native's, and with a view of relieving the War Relief Associations of undue claims under, this heading, has been undertaken during the year, with the result that the West Coast Maori fund and the Central Maori moneys have already been paid to ' the council—the total, amount being £2345. ■ Advisory Boards and imprest accounts have been established on the lines of those sup-plied Westland. and Buller, and the policy is being pursued with the object of entering into similar arrangements with the. East Coast, North, and Southern Maori funds, ..■'... . . ' ..

During the year the Foxton Patriotic Society, took advantage of the provisions of section i of the War Funds-Act, 1915, and forwarded its accumulated fund, amounting to £2560, to the council for administration. An advisory board and imprest account was established, and the arrangement is working to mutual satisfaction. . .

The investments of the council har« been advantageously placed both in regard to security und earning capacity, having in view the necessity for keeping the council's funds in a. liquid state. Tha whole of the funds are invested with tho Public Trustee, in Government wat bonds, or inscribed stock. Arrangements have been entered into with . ths Treasury and Internal Affairs ■ Department to finalise the position of th» patriotic balances at Treasury and in tha hands of the High Commissioner with a view to the 'early closing of the accounts and the transfer of the moneys ultimately available to the council. j SATISFACTOBY FINANCE. ' [ The outstanding features of the financial statement for the year, which ended on 316t March last, are gross receipts amounting to £54,222; transfers from patriotic societies, £51,824; sundry legacies. £1369; interest earned, £3763; exceßS of income ovor expenditure, £52,----525. Belief and assistance were supplied to soldiers and various advisory boards to ii value of £6223, and loans were granted to patriotic societies amounting to 1 £1000. The assets include £992 cash at hand; £68,582 cash on deposit; and £22,548 invested. " .. : ! 'RELIEF AND ASSISTANCE. j The funds of the council, the report states,- are well invested and in a sufficiently liquid state to permit of all dainands cm tho resources of the council oeing met without delay. The council administers "Sick ajid Wounded Soldievs

and their dependants," "Blind Soldiers," "Maori Soldiers arid their dependants,"- "Mercantile Marine," and "Widow and Orphans'" Funds; and in addition is gradually realising on hutments and equipment no longer required for the recreation of wounded soldiers in hospitals and sanatoria. The council advances money to." patriotic societies whose capital is not liquid, or alternatively purchases their securities, thus saving £i}e consequent loss and expense of forced sale on the open market; it provides "relief and assistance" to exImperial and other Allied soldiers, so ts to relieve undue strain on the funds ci tho war relief associations, and the administrations of the council have made it possible, that no matter where a- N.Z,E.F. man, who, has suffered war dis-' ability, may be resident, immediate con-' sideration will; be supplied him on the basis of the necessity and the merits of his case as reported by the local patriotic society or the result of the: council's investigations, . .■

It is not possible to estimate "accuratejy how long the present fluids will be: available for relief ajid assistance to' sol-i diers because of the many cases of recurring illness, 1 and* the breakdown of. men now apparently fit, as V result of their war spry-ice. The ever-changing economic conditions jn the Dominions aro also factors in .the matter, hence the pecejsity far conserving the fiinds, ponsislent with reasonable' disbursement for the purpose for,which, they were raised. Though |here is no !imit tp assistance to soldiers, arid '■ their dependants so-long as such relief is based on necessity, the merits of^ the case, and tfie' fuiidp available, patrotic funds can.not.be legally expended on any pbjeqt outside that fpr which they were raised, hence grants to war memorial fundß pr subsidies to municipal or other unemployment schemes cannot be made from existing funds,