PATRIOTIC SOCIETY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19513, 17 December 1926, Page 15

PATRIOTIC SOCIETY.

PENSIONS AND ASSISTANCE REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES. The executive committee of the Aufcl land Provincial Patriotic andl War Reli< Association met yesterday, the chairmai: Sir James Gunscin, presiding. A communication was received from th Minister in Charge of War Funds, Hon W. Downie Stewart, in relation to repr<sentations made in connection with th period within which applications may lb made for pensions,, The Minister ha< been asked by the conference of patriots societies held in Wellington last Juno t< remove the time limit under which dis abled soldiers may apply fo- war pensions, The Minister said that there appeared k be some misapprehension as to the law on the subject There was no time limit provided by the War Pensions Act within which a claim for ;a pension must be made. A soldier could claim at any time during his life for a pension without any restriction or limit. The Returned Soldiers' Associatioi wrote thanking the committee for its decision to pay the rent of the soldiers" elul: room for the nest 12 months. It was mentioned that the sum involved was £l3O, and that as the room nerved as a rest room and meeting place for disabled! soldiers it was deemed right to keep it in use. The report of the Permanently Disabled Soldiers' Board stated that since the last sitting three men hud been granted assistance, totalling £296, Since the inception of the scheme 605 men had been voted assistance, amounting tc £102,836, or an average of £203 per man. The grantees were in all cases men who were suffering permanent ascertained disability to the extent of 40 per cent, oi more. The assistance granted had bees mainly in the direction of helping them to acquire homes, and there was no doubt that the scheme had proved of very great benefit to the men concerned. The report of the Finance Committee stated that the funds of the association at August 31 amounted to £146,268. Since that date receipts had amounted to £2337, making a total of £148.605 to be accounted for. Since August 31 the expenditure under all headings had amounted to £6393, leaving a balance on hand at November 31 of £142,212. II; was decided to close the association's offices on Christmas Eve for the holidays, reopening on January 17. Messrs.. A. G. Lunn, and E. J. Phelan were given authority to attend to urgent business on behalf of the committee during the recess..