PATRIOTIC SOCIETIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16299, 4 August 1916, Page 6

PATRIOTIC SOCIETIES

BECISIONS OF CONFERENCE. PAY FOR SOLDIERS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PEESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Thursday. At the first annual conference of the federation of Patriotic War Relief Societies to-day, resolutions were carried recommending that the rate, of pay to members of the Expeditionary Force be 5s a day for the first month,' instead of 4s; taat messing allowance be paid to all returned men while awaiting the decision of the Medical Board after discharge from hospital, and, altogether, a more liberal interpretation of conditions under which this allowance may be paid: that the Prime Minister ho approached to secure legislation establishing a moratorium, so as to give protection to soldiers in respect to property owned bv them upon which monev i S owin" unWs a Judge otherwise directs, and that the protection granted by the British Govern went oe taken as the basis for New 7e-< land.

The Hon. J T. Paul was re-elected chairman, ard Mr. L. 0. H. Tripp vice chairman. Mr. H. W. Kirkwond was appointed delegate for Taranaki in place of Mr. J. A. Wilson. The other dele-rate* ■were all re-elected.

The following remits from Wairarapa are referred to the Advisory Board •-- 'That a copy of the medical and other reports which were placed hefore the Pensions Board when it decided on a man's pension should be available to the secretary of the Patriotic Society in anv special case such society is inquiring into such documents to be treated as strict' v confidential"; "That as a further means to prevent exploitation of war relief funds, all officers of societies be empowered to grant relief to returned soldiers, endorse on a soldiers' paybook the name of the society granting relief, and the date of the grant, and that_ no relief be granted without production of discharge." The conference affirmed the principle of the Wellington remit, that the Government pay insurance premiums up to £50 per annum on policies taken out bv solBo^d and it Was refened to the Advisory