THE PATRIOTIC FUND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17755, 14 April 1921, Page 6

THE PATRIOTIC FUND.

WORK OF CLAIMS BOARD.

INCREASE IN APPLICANTS.

The executive of the Auckland Patriotic Association met yesterday, the president, Mr. J. H. Gunson, presiding. There were also present : —Messrs. V. J. Lamer, N. A. Nathan, C. Rhodes, H. Horton, A. J. Entrican, W. B. Leyland, H. D. Heather, and E. A. Craig.

The Claims Beard reported that it had dealt with 2.57 applications during the past month. The disbursements amounted to £790. This showed a slight moreasa over the previous month. The applicants \» ere mostly returned soldiers suffering a recurrence of war injuries or sickness. The position of many was precarious. The board in many instances Jiad taken up the matter of a renewal or of an increase, of the Government pension. It was clear there were a large number of men stinering war disability, which in many,cases rendered them physically unfit to work. In some instances they were' without Government pensions. Such cases as these would constitute a claim on the fund for some time io come. The distribution of the funds, particularly to cases of this class, continued to do of invaluable benefit to those who had -suffered, and still did so, as the result of war service. On the other hand, the !>• aid had found it necessary to thoroughly examine each applicant's case with a, view of preventing imposition, from which the board unfortunately was not free. There were cases where men sought to take advantage uf the benefits under the "A" Fund for sick or wounded, on the grounds of their active service alone, while there was ditinclination to work. Both at the head office and all the branches, this class of applicant was suitably dealt with. The work of the 21 branches continued/ to be satisfactory, with the exception of the Whangarei office. The lack of returns, ancf inattention to correspondence had been a source of concern to the board, and to several of the other important patriotic associations under the reciprocal scheme. While the board had not gone the length of refusing to pay drafts from Whangarei, although they were ported by vouchers and monthly! statements as required, it now recommended that Mr. T. B. Ivay, the; association's secretory, be forthwith sent to Whangarei to examine into the position, with power to take any steps in. conjunction with the local committee, vrhich might be necessary to put the business of the centre on a satisfactory basis; and that, failing adherthereafter to any such arrangement, the imprest account be withdrawn and no further payments made until such time as due forms were complied with. With regard to future operations at the head office, the board had under consideration the cessation of the sittings of the two divisions of the board which for five years had twice weekly personally met applicants. It was considering reliance entirely upon the weekly meeting on Fridays and the cessation of the practice of applicants appearing personally before the board. If this were approved, the interviews (with exceptions), would be done by the secretary and Btaff; the cases would be considered by the board with the secretary's report npon the established facts.

The report was adopted. Surplus funds from tha Papakura and Otahuhu Patriotic Societies, amounting to £274 and £449 respectively, were reported to have been paia into the .association's 'B" Fund. The president explained that the societies had been given the alternative of handing over these funds either to the Government's National War Fund or to the association.

The annual meeting was fixed for June 22.