DEBT TO SEAMEN

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11705, 18 December 1923, Page 9

DEBT TO SEAMEN

SHEEPFARMERS’ FUND INTERESTING DETAILS OF YEAR'S OPERATIONS. EXTENSION OF GOOD WORK. The aunual meeting of the New Zealand ' Sheep-f armors' Acknowledgment to British Seamen Fund took place la6t week, the Hon. Edward Newman presiding. Thero were present; —Messrs T. R. Lees, Alex. Macintosh, L. O. Tripp, C. M. Luke, Capt. H. I. Hamilton, R.N., O. G. Watkins, W. G. Rudd, J. Linklater, M.P., J. C. N. Grcig, M. Bethell, G. L. Marshall, and Capt. Maclnder (marine adviser). ASSISTANCE GRANTED. The annual report stated that during the year the committee had given consecration to 526 applications for financial assistance from sailors and dependents. Relief payments made to sailors and dependents during the year totalled <£6119 2a lid and loons amounted to .£3971 16s 4d. In some cases the children of the beneficiaries were neuring wage-earning ; ages and in other® badly disabled men were adapting themselves to some form of light employment suited to the disability, but, with the likelihood of further cases coming undor notice, it was not anticipated that assistance to permanently disabled sailors and dependents Would 'be less than .£2OOO per annum for eome years to come. A largo number of the applicants during tho year were men •whoso health had been so impaired as the result of the service afloat during the war as to render thorn incapable of Performing heavy manual work and fit for light employment only. The need of relief in many such cases had been in a large measure the result of inability to obtain suitable light employment, but as industrial conditions became normal again there should consequently be a considerable reduction during the coming year in the number of such applicants. Loans completed during the year were granted free of interest for periods of from two to five years, and with the exception of a few small unsecured loans totalling JSISO, such security as might have been available had been taken in each eace. CHRISTMAS GIFTS. A pleasant feature of the year’s work was the distribution of useful Christmas gifts among the children of the fund's beneficiaries. JBIO2 14s lid was expended in this direction. He felt that this allocation was one that would meet with the whole-hearted approval of all the contributors to the fund, and the knowledge evidenced by letters of appreciation received from the parent or parents ia almost every case, that this expenditure brought very much pleasure to a number of children who otherwise would have been without* much of the joy associated with a child's Christmas time, led the executive to authorise a similar de* tribution during the approaching Christmas season. OPERATIONS IN ENGLAND. During the first six months of the year, 704 applications for financial assistance were considered and grants were made in 567 cases, representing a total expenditure of J£so3s las 6d. There is almost unlimited scope in England for work such as is being undertaken by the fund, and the large number of cases brought before the notice of the committee makes it necessary to confine their efforts to relieving those of the mofit distressing and urgent nature. The London committee continues to ■’.vork in conjunction with other organisations established for the benefit of the organisation investigating cases and disbursing grants authorised by the committee. CHAIRMAN’S REMARKS IMPORTANT PROPOSALS. In moving the adoption of the report, the Hon. . jfcidward Newman, expressed deep regret at the death of Mr A. Boyle, who had. been a very earnest worker of the fund since its inception. He paid a tribute to the executive committee, which, he 6aid. had devoted a great part of their time to the work of the fund. Dealing with the finances of the fund, he said that they had sent Home J2165,000 to England to carry out the work among the British seamen, while the interest derived therefrom, amounting to about J 517.000, had been expended in New Zealand. They still had a e um of .£155,000 in England, so that subscribers could not say that they had wasted their patronage. Testimonies had been received from numerous sources as to the efficacy of the work being done in Lon* don by the advisory ooiamittee, and there was no doubt that they had been highly successful. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. air J. Linklater and Mr C. M. Luke expressed tbeir gratification at be. in# elected to tho committee, and hoped that their work on it would be successful