WAR RELIEF

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 47, 25 February 1937, Page 15

WAR RELIEF

TWENTY-ONE YEARS

ASSISTANCE TO SOLDIERS

Twenty-one years of service to returned soldiers and sailors was reached by the War Relief Association of Wellington yesterday when the twenty-first annual meeting of members was held. The work of past years and the continued need for service was referred to by members, some of whom have served on the association during the whole twenty-one years.

■The chairman of the executive committee (Mr. L. O. H. Tripp, 0.8. E.), presided and tendered an apology for the president (Mr. T. C. A Hislop, C.M.G.), who was unable to be present.

Moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet (already published), Mr. Tripp referred to the deaths of Mr. Clement Watson and Mr. H. H. Seaton during the year. These members had been prominent in the association's work, he said, and they would be greatly missed. In order to avoid overlapping in the administration of funds, he continued, direct contact was maintained with the Returned Soldiers' Associations, Red Cross Society, and the Mayor's Metropolitan Relief officer, and each week a report as to the cases considered, and the assistance granted, was forwarded to these organisations Before granting assistance, each case was fully investigated, and where there were women and children in need a report was generally obtained from the lady visitor. It was absolutely necessary to make every possible in■quiry, prior to granting relief, otherwise it would be unfair to, and impossible to.confer the maximum benefits available to, deserving applicants, and furthermore, loose administrations of relief funds tended to pauperise some individuals. So that there should be no delay in dealing.with any application, the emergency committee had met five days in the week. There had been a falling off in the number of applicants for unemployment relief, but there were still a considerable number of men, of middle age, who could do a fair day's work, but could not find employment, apparently because they could.not compete with the younger men; and, with rising costs, the employer could only afford-to employ the really efficient men It was obvious that it was better for the men and the State that this class of man should be found work than that he should be living on sustenance. This was a problem which would have to be solved, because it affected not only the returned soldiers, but many men who had passed middle age, who could not compete with the 'younger men. : FLOCK HOUSE. The Government had taken over Flock House, Mr. Tripp said, and in the future \ any New Zealand boys' would be able to train there, but he; understood that the sons of returned soldiers would have preference. There was no question that the train-, ing of the' sons of sailors and soldiers; at Flock House had been a wonderful success. >- The. boys who passed through Flock House had not only had an excellent elementary training in farming,, but those-who were in charge of the boys helped to build up their characters, and to teach them the value in life of hard work and .thrift. It-would be seen from the report that-the association still had some £19,000 capital left and of this amount £16 325 was liquid. ; It was partly owing to the-moneys received during the .pas^few years from the War' Funds. Council to assist the .unemployed exservicemen that 'the funds had not been. materially depleted. Owing to a decrease' in :-;the volume of work ing'the/last'two1, years they had been able to; effect a reduction in their administration expenditure. . In-conclusion Mr. • Tripp expressed; appreciation of the assistance.given- by Mr A Macintosh',.vice-chairman of the finance- committee, members .of committees, the. honorary auditors,, honorary valuators, - andthe associations •Mr CM Luke seconded the motion and referred to the fact that the asso-; elation had reached its majority. He expressed the opinion that the work ot the association had given entire satisfaction to ■returned soldiers and the .^After other members had spoken on similar lines-the'report was adopted. Messrs. C. S. Falconer, D. McLaren, R L Macalister, Colonel- J. J. Esson,. c'm:G., V.D., and Lieut-Colonel A. Cowles, V.D., were re-elected to the executive committee. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. At a meeting of the executive committee held after the annual meeting the sub-committees were reconstituted' and Mr. G. B.Hull was elected a member of the executive and the finance committee.