PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Marlborough Express, Volume LIV, Issue 134, 9 June 1920, Page 4

PATRIOTIC FUNDS

QUESTION OF IMSITJIBJcfeoN.

WELLINGTON VIEWPOINT,

The disbursement of patriotic fundsis one of the" complex problems, of. th© near future. , ,In'miuiy parts .th,eintroduction of a j)>ominion schema with a/ suggestion as, to the poolingi of funds, is favored, whilst the Alarlborough Patriotic Association ' ha» decided to bring into operation the» proposals it confirmed several monthsago. The latter body is also aJ strenuous objector to any scheme for the pooling of funds. At the last meeting of the Advisory Board it was decided to hold a conference of representatives of patrioticlocal bodies and kindred organisations^ to endeavor to introduce a scheme of distribution which ' would. operate* uniformly in all parts of the Do>minion. Writing to the secretary qf, the Marlborough Patriotic Association, Mr L.' H. Tripp; chairman of the Advisory. Board, states that the , holding of the conference has, peeju delayed owing to the 'necessity for obtaining fvjll information; from the* Government as to ! disabled men.. Lists were -now' in hand cohtaiiiingr t\\6 names ..of all .men in receipt off permanent pensiqns, disabled men im hospitals .who,' have not yet come» uiider the, Pensions, Department, and all • other nien: in, recSipt^ of. pensions. ', whose ' disabilities'.■ affectitheir ' ■ capacity. . The lists were riot .yet quite complete, but wh^en •' full information had v been; oD^ained these lists will be* circiilateji amongst, the various ; patriotic* societies, which would havo- to bearr the cost of compilation.

' Mi' Tripp's leter proceeds:—> "Last week 1 held a conference* 6f the different societies in the Wellington district at Palmerston North, and it was. unanimously agreed (1) to> approve of a national scheme, (2); that oach case should be dealt with/ on its merits., and an attempt made* to make up the loss thot the -mart has suffered. It wjjs pointed out* .that in -one case, where' a man hatfi lost an arm, it would not iriterfetfer with ,his earning capacity? but in.' another case a man who had last anf arm would have to be assisted to> learn a new trade. We then agreed! /that each Society should set aside a* portion of its funds for the benefit * of,,the disabled soldier, his dependants and those who, break down a» a result of war service. Further-' more, we agreed that if at a later date one Society found that it hadT more moneyl than was wanted, ifc would help any otberSofietv. If ■«» can get all tho. societies ,in New/Zea^land to adopt these proposals we have* gone a long way towards forming » national scheme. "You will note that the Returned! Soldiers' Association have passed resolutions very much- on the lines that we have suggested, and one»: important matter they have brought up, and which we ha-ve adopted, >\9 thnt in very few cases cash should bo* paid to anyone."