AIDING EX-SOLDIERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19274, 12 March 1926, Page 15

AIDING EX-SOLDIERS.

RELIEF ASSOCIATION'S WORK. TUBERCULOSIS SUFFERERS. QUESTION OF ELIGIBILITY. Tho extent to which the Auckland Provincial Patriotic and War Relief Association is assisting returned soldiers was set out in various reports submitted to tho quarterly meeting of the executive yesterday. The president, Sir James Gunson, was in the chair. The claims board stated that during ihe past quarter 336 applications for assistanco had been considered. Assistance amounting to £1432 lGs 4d had been granted to 226 applicants, the remaining 110 applications having been declined. The number of cases for tho quarter was an Increase of 71 on (ho .March quarter of last year and tho increase in expenditure Was £304 13s lOd. A number of soldiers, many of whom were discharged from the forces, class A, fit, were now suffering from tuberculosis In many cases it was very difficult for tho men to establish war disability and thus obtain a war pension. It was felt by the board that in the great majority of cases tho disability could be reasonably assumed to bo duo to exposure tind stress of war service, and that the men were eligible for assistance. The report was received. Acquisition of Homes. The Permanently Disabled Soldiers' Board stated that seven applications for assistance had been considered, of which two were granted, for a total amount of £450, three declined and two deferred. Since tho inception of tho scheme 487 men had been granted assistance totalling £99,243 3s 9d, an average of £204 p, man. The men were all suffering permanent war disability to tho extent of 40 per cent, and upwards. The assistance voted was usually for Ihe purpose of acquiring homes. The hssociation accepted a mortgage, usually a second, over the property for a term of 30 years. The mortgage was freo of interest while the soldier was owner and Sn possession of the property, and if he was still owner and in possession at the expiration of 10 years, and had made good, having lived an honourable and teputablo life, tho mortgage was cancelled without payment. Many of the earlier mortgages, which were for a term of five years, were falling due, and in all cases where the conditions had been complied with they wero being cancelled. The work of the board was steadily decreasing, but there wero still a good number of permanently disabled men who had not yet mado any application for assistance under the scheme but who bight do so later. The report was received. Resignation Reconsidered. Mr. H. Horton said ho proposed leaving for England shortly and would be absent about 12 months. In view of that he thought he should resign from tho executive and would accordingly tender his resignation. Sir James Gunson said Mr. Horton had been one of the foundation members of the association and had taken a helpful part in the work of the committee for the past 11 years. His severance from the executive should be avoided at any cost and he asked him to reconsider his resignation, which in the circumstances would not .be acceptable to his fellow-members. He suggested that Mr. Horton should allow tho committee to grant him 12 months' leave of absence. Mr. Horton said the decision to resign had been reached by him with regret, li appreciated the chairman's remarks and Would be pleased to fall in with "the suggestion. Twelve months' leave of absence was therefore granted. A grant of £2OO was mado. to the Klayoreiss' War Memorial Library Committee for the purpose of carrying out the returned soldiers' portion xif its work.