PATRIOTIC SOCIETY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 294, 6 April 1921, Page 6

PATRIOTIC SOCIETY.

MEETING "OF COMMITTEE.'' "-''' K -4 ■ ?-- A mooting ffl the Mauawatii' Patriotic j i Sccietv was- h<3d yesterday afternoon.-- .Mr] J. A.* Nash, BI.F-i -presided and ..others present were Messrs E. ft. Crnbb; J,. A. •and J. fl. P.'jfStrmig and J. K. Hardy. Acceouuts : 'amounting- to £l9O .were l passed for payment. This'--sum, included large assistance to returned men "and'. dependants;.- , WAR.; RELIEF - WORK.

The chairman read-a lengthy letter, whieii h 0 had received -from Mr Leonard. ]J. Tripp, president of the-'War Relief.■ Association, who shortly-leaves, on a trip to, England and expects to be away for about seven months. The writer staled .that when the Advisory Board last met:'it- hac' been suggested to'the Minister. of ; -: Interna.! Affairs > that-, th 0 . personnel of-the. Wai. Ftmds Council- should-..b0 altered, ami representatives of tho. >v,ar. relief ;,and patrictic associations be put on..the council. The lata MinSfter for Internal Affairs (Hon. Mr Anderson) discussed the matter fully with him and agreed-that it would be ir. tho interests-,of e\%yoh&-;if. iportauij men. who had -been actively engaged in'the ad ministration of war funds, were put on tin; War FundsV.Council. Mr Anderson hue] since accepted another portfolio and Mi . Dowuie Stewart, who has been appointee Minister off Internal. Affaiira, had been written to '-md interviewed by Mr Tripp, who thought'the Minister had grasped th< position. "Fhanded over rfo Mr Dbwnic Hiewart ths§iaiues of the members of tlit Advisocv Board, and I understand that it if his iiiumtion.'tty-appoiin some- members ot the Advisory' BoaiJ'' ro the War Lund? Council. A'y far as I know, the majority of societiessiave sufficient funds to can-y----on for the'next -few years. 'There aw a few societies which require assistance. . The letter went on to state that societies requiring urgent assistance 'would be reimbursed bv the Wellington War [Rehet Association/which body wouU, m turn. bf repaid by the War Funds_ Council. lh( writer had'' been' contending lor a considerable time that the. .'money collected ' under the War Funds Act for the benefit of soldiers should 'be- retained for soldiers, and could not be Expended on peace work without the,-.consent'of tne Minister. lit War Funds Office had gone fully into the Question and flrtMwftStf arrangements had been made' whereby funds in; the hands of thf Y.MX'.A., .church parries and qthei bodies would be handed over-to the War Funds Council.' Wlien.-th e money was goi in, it would probably bo', found that-.the War Funds Council had at least iBC.OCC as a central fund tor the benefit of soldiers. Later on, if- it- were ; found that any society wished to go out of business, then,the ■ money could' be handed over to the central boclv." on condition that- the men in .the various districts were looked alter. With -regard to the Y.M.C.A... it was understood ' that that organisation was handing oyei to the War Funds Council all their buildings that were erected for the«,mc of soldiers, and also''.'between WOO •and £40.000. Tiie : 'Y.M:C.A: wore allowed to retain their equipment and certain mousy, since, their-peace work was ciisiocuted. a large number of claims were being made on the Wellington wsr relief funds, some of the cases' being-difficult to .decide, A practice ha'd been .made-: of aslcing. apph-. cants to pay. baofc'ihe whole ova L*«W pf the monev advanced, and results mm been most satisfactory. In manv cases. the monev could not be repaid, bu~ last vear 75 per cent, of tho advances was. repaid It had -booh -.found- by. many that this conservation oW-mids on tilt' pavf.o. the soeietv v,-a,s. a-wi«>; ;; oouise-to adopt. since the writer'iiad-. received, many jotters from soldiers and others, thanking hun tor work done, in this direction. -Now that depression was unfortunately in our midst everyone could see. the- wisdom ot this course. In conclusion', the .writer, tbunKed the Manawatu committee ...for the work-car-; tied out on behalf, of soldiers, during the last six years. "V, ... Mr Nash said there was no • doubt that Air Tripp lad performed a great service in tho interests of returned men. Owing to tho central position of Wellington .he had been under the necessity ot dealing with tho claims of sailors in addition to the great amount of time when he, had to devote to soldiers';.needs. It was incumbent, upon tho committee to pas a resolution thanking Mr Tripprfor-the able and courteous manner m which lie had at an times transacted the business of his department- and 'it would also be iitting lot them to wjsh him a pleasant, voyage to the Mother Country Mid- a .safe, return.-; Carried urijiiimously,