WAR RELIEF SOCIETIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16663, 7 April 1916, Page 93

WAR RELIEF SOCIETIES

MEETING OF ADVISORY BOARD. (Peb United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, April 6. Tho first meeting of tho Advisory Board ! to the patriotic war relief societies was held to-day. A long discussion took place on tho functions oi tho board, which it was decided must bo regarded as purely advisory. It was - resolved:—"That in view of the assurance given by the Minister of Defence that tho money provided by the patriotio societies for soldiers serving abroad will bo used solely for comforts outside of ordinary nccessarics, the Advisory Board endorses the resolution passed by the conference to subscribe £3000 monthly for tho purpose, and recommends, tho societies to act accordingly aa from April 1." The Chairman (the Hon. J. T. Paul) mentioned that tho Government had asked tho societies to give particulars regarding every caso assisted. Tho view ho had taken was that this would bo an utterly useless work. Hundreds of pagos would havo to be prepared, and no uso was likely to be made of all tho details that would have to bo recorded. It would be far better to give the total amount disbursed monthly among t.ha soldiers and dependents. It was resolved to recommend tho North Island patriotic societies to contribute to tho oost of a social hall at Rotorua. It was resolved:—"That, where possible, appeals for financial assistance other than local be referred to tho Advisory Board for consideration and recommendation." Also, "'That tho Minister be asked to set up an Appeal Board," a case being quoted where a North Otago soldier had been deprived of his pension because he refused to undergo an operation for a gunshot wound. Tho board resolved, on the motion of Mr J. J. Dougall (Canterbury)—" That it be a recommendation that cach provincial district consider tho advisability of distinctly defining tho scope of tho operations of each patriotio society within the district, and the area within which each would operate." It was decided to obtain the opinion of th<) Crown Law Office as to tho powers of societies in advancing sums without interest on valid security for the purpoao of assisting returned soldiers on to tho land or into business. It was resolved to ask tho various societies for particulars of tho scales of assistance which they had adopted. (From Otjb Owij Correspondent.) , WELLINGTON, April 6. ihe board did not achieve much at its first meeting. It was hoped by tho more sanguine that the creation of this body would get over most of tho difficulties of disunited disorganised effort, and this it may yet do; but, first of all, tho very firmlyrooted objection of certain societies to take advice from whatever source it comes must bo overcome. Somehow or other, in tho minds of delegates it seemed that the Government tag was tied to this Advisory Board, and the societies who have determined not to brook any Government interference are not disposed to brook interference by the new board. Tho most deterof. these are Canter bury and Auckland. iii.s was particularly apparent when the board received for consideration an appeal from the Defence Minister for £5000 per month for comforts far tho sick and • wounded m hospitals abroad. In the first place was a suspicion, chiefly entertained by the Auckland and Ohristchurch men, that the Government wants this money m substitution for funds which it should provide from the Treasury, and not merely to supplement these funds. These delegates appeared to resent the sending forward of the proposal through the board, . and admitted at once that their ■ societies would prefer to be guided by such wisdom as they had of theur own rather than by tho board. They were also convinced, as it seemed, that the Government was not nearly so likely to see that the funds were usefully administered as the societies could ensure by their own judgment/ Another question which showed how impatient of outside control some of the societies were was that embodied iu the proposal that the rates of relief should be standardised. From figures quoted and statements made, it was evident that the Auckland and Canterbury people had done more to standardise their own relief work than any other bodies; but Auckland did not profess to have standards at all, claiming that every case was considered as an individual problem. In the end, a resolution was carried requesting the societies' to for- 1 ward to the board particulars as to the rates of relief allowed in.certain classes of cases: but, unless tho temper of some of the delegates alters considerably, there does not [ seem to be any likelihood that they will be ready to accept guidance from the board on this matter. A perfect' storm of indignation, all par-». ticulars of which were not open for publication, was stirred up when a departmental ofheer submitted % scries of - regulations containing, inter alia, directions as to therequirements of the Government in the way of reports and returns at stated intervals. Jivery delegate who discussed the question declared that these demands for an excessive amount of information ■ were vexatious, and burdensome, requiring societies to incur expense in getting, extra work done. The idea apparently was to get tho board to approve of theso draft regulations, but the delegates would have none of this, demandmg that they should bo referred to the societies. This is now to be done. All showed impatience and disgust with this form of Government interference. The Christchurch delegate (Mr Dougall) went so far a& to say that nothing would more quickly stop subscriptions to "funds than Government interference. If societies were all of one mind in thendistaste for, advice and interference, perhaps some common ground could be cleared; but a considerable proportion of delegates—rather more than half—seemed ready and willing to obtain advice and to co-operate with other bodies and secure a(^ For the present,' the board, constituted <ls it is, does not givo them promise of much help.