DISTRIBUTION OF PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16980, 17 April 1917, Page 2

DISTRIBUTION OF PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

RELfKF TO SOLDIERS AND DEPEND ENTS. COMPLAINT AGAINST THE GOVERN MENT.

The executive of the Otago Patriotic Association discussed at some length 'yesterday the methods of the Government in dealing with the welfare of soldiers and their dependents. The executive evidently desired to remedy the existing condition of hnngs, .ind the whole debate arose when tho report,* by the Finance and Soldiers' Welfare Committees came up for consideration.

Mr Solomon, who traversed the whole position, said that one of the most important matters dealt with in the report was the question of separation allowances. It had been carefully considered by the committee, and he believed that the recommendations only required to be placed before the association to gain their support., He pointed out that recently representations had been made to the Government, that an allowance should be made to the mother of a soldier. That, had been agreed to by the Government, and the committee now suggested that similar allowances shotdd bo made to fathers also whoso circumstances warranted it. Then tho committee recommended that the allowances to soldiers were not as large as they ought to bo. These had stood practically still sinco the initiation of tho war, while the general circumstances of living had changed. It was unreasonable and inequi'iblo that, while the cost of living had gone up the amount paid to tho soldier should remain stationary. He was certain that the view of tho committee in that respect would receive the support of the association. The committee had also considered tho matter of medical examination of recruits. This had boon before the committee for a long time, and there was vio doubt that for a. considerable period the examination was most ineffective and - sketchy, leading to results of an cxtraordiniry character. That the association had not been wrong in its impression of those examinations was proved by tho fact that the Government had taken tne matter up. and had stiffened the examinations. The committee had deemed it its duty to urge the tightening of medical examinations, for tho results were proving a very serious matter to tho Patriotic Association. It therefore sincerely trusted that the medical examination of recruits now would be very careful and exact. There arose out of that another matter which seemed to him to represent a most improper thing. This was the fact that men were taken forcibly for active service, were passed as med'calh tit, sent to camp, and there rejected by the medical authorities. Often this result caused strious hardship to the individual and cast an oditional strain upon tho funds of the different associations It was quite possible* that after a man had been a.little time at Trenthom tho training would dcvolco a latent weakness, necessitating Ins discharge from tho forces In such cases no consideration whatever, was given by the Government. Tito man was sent back, -and no provision was made for aim. Jhe committee thought that that was a most improper state of affairs. The man was taken compulsorily to the trainirW camp, and very often had to lose his situation and even his means of livelihood when rejected at tho second examination, and the Government provided nothing for his support The committee thought that should be stopped if it were within its power to srop it. The funds at the association's disposal were to supplement what was given by the Government. It was not part of the association's duty to do what the Government should do. It appeared that if a man were rejected at the camp he was not a person entitled to assistance from the Government He became nobodv's case attitude of the Government, although in fact it was not the attitude of the committee, &o tho committee said that man ™? a soldier he should be treated as a soldier, and that tho Government should do what tho committee did although it was not a part of the com' mittee a duty to. do it. And there was this effect to bo considered: the funds that were spent m such cases deprived the members 01 the Expeditionary Fore- of their proper share of the patriotic funds. Another matter of almost equal importance concerned the funds for providing comforts for our soldiers overseas. Early in the war tho association and other oatriotic bodies were asked to provide fund's for that purpose, which was put forward as a matter of ur?oncy It was agreed ultimately to subscribe £3000 a month, and altogether some £15,000 was subscribed. Of thai sum a largo proportion was sent to England in order to provide urgently-needed comforts. Jwmi i was lhe I' ositio ": The sum of .0 had never gone out of tho dominion at all A\hy ,t had not gone they were absolutely unab o to find out. The "matter had been placed in tho hands of tho Advisory Board, and had been inquired into tor months and the committee had been told that the Advisory Board could not, get any satisfaction from tho Government as to why the money had not boon sent away. And they could not get the money W. That £6000 ought to be available for these soldiers,, but they could not get ill 1 t "° com mitteo said was thisthat the association and other patriotic societies should take steps to put an end to that sort of thing, and get tho money. lhey_ said nothing at all about the moneys still in England. There was another matter calling for attention—tho question of land for returned soldiers. It war, becoming a very serious matter indeed, and-, one that would have to gain, consideration some time or other. It was giving' tho Soldiers' Welfare Committee a great deal of difficulty. 1 orronally, he hold strong opinions about it. Land was being offered preferentially to returned soldiers, whether" they knew anything about farming or not. If a man took up land without the requisite knowledge/as to what he was g-etting and what had to be done, it was inevitable that he was going to make a mess of things. Instead of doing him a good turn in such a case the Governement was doing him an ill turn. Ho suggested that tho proper way to dea.l with this matter was not to put a man on the land until they were satisfied that his circumstances and knowledge were sufficient to gain him reasonable success He moved the adontion of the rooort . Tho Hon. J. T. Paul seconded the motion, and raised tho question of financial assistance to embarrassed soldiers. Some months ago the Government had decided as a matter of policy that financial assistance should be given to soldiers called up by ballot who were financially embarrassed J this provision to apply to volunteers also! That decision had been heralded in the ! newspapers 'with a. groat flourish of trumpets, and it had been emphasised that, in'l all, a soldier could got something like up to £4 a week. It was amazing to find out j that no such assistance had yet been given. I It seemed to him that the Government had an idea that before any man could assist in administration he must wear a uniform. There were ample means in each > centre to carry out the administration of the now system, even if tho Government had 1 merely acted on British experience, and had sot up less elaborate machinery. Tho position now was that if a man in any p;;it of tho dominion required financial assistance such as was to be provided, the application had to go to Wellington to be adjudicated upon by the Central Board. Such a matter could easily bo attended to bv some committee in a centre, which would hS able more expeditiously to deal with it.

The Rev. Graham Balfour cited a case of hardship.

Mr .T. Begg said there -were throe bodies that might decide the question of assistance • The Military Service Board, the Soldiers' Welfare Committee, and the Efficiency Board. The committee- couJd do the work. He considered that, as regards pay ;,r.d allowances, they should specify the ct;ses in which increases'' should bo "Riven. In sonic cases the allowance was inadequate. The Mayor said there were a few isolated cases where the allowance was adornuto, and there were a few cases where no allowance was required: at all; but these wove so insignificant that thoy did not count. In the groat majority of cases it was absolutely impossible for dependents to exist on the allowances given by the Govern ment. If it wore not for' the assistance given by the Patriotic Association there would bo greater distress.in this city and right throughout, the dominion. Tho associations had shouldered the rosponsibiliths of the Government. It could not be too strongly emphasised that the .tllow uk-cs were inadequate. It was disgraceful Ihe way the Government had used the- funds of the associations contributed for the supply of comforts for our soldiers overseas. Dean Fitchctt, with an evident desire to do something practical, asked what the executive was goinjr to recommend. What one wanted to know was how were tbev going to get at the Government. Who was the Ministr.r in charge? lie. would like to see the association do something effective. They seemed so helpless in the matter. A force of public opinion was wanted which would absolutely take the Government bv '.he neck. —("Hear, hear.") Mr Paul said the position was a difficult one. and mentioned that up to a poir>: the jiatriotio contributions and the. Govern-

merit's money f or the supply of comfort" I mil boon lumped together, and Unit for a long time tho (iovornment /•onltl not tell the other from which. They ]~id now oome to the conclusion lhat £6000 belonged to the association, and the instruction of the Advisory Board had been absolutely ignored by the (iovernruent. It seemed to inn that it had been a, case of '.middle from iH'gmnmg to end. Altogether it was a scandalous business.

A number of suggestions wero thr.v.m out as to the best course to uursuo. 07,0 being to communicate direct with James Allen on the subject, and another tliat, a public meeting should be hold bv way of protest. finally Die clause in the report dealing with .soldiers' pay and a.lo.v:.w:es was amended to read: "The oxperiamc of the Relief Committee has convinced them that the present allotment of 4s a dav from the soldiers' pay as insisted up.-n by the Patnotio Association does not leave the soldier a sufficient sum for himself, yet this allotment is necessitated by tho inadequate a oivances—i.e., separation and children allowances—at present made to tho soldiers' dependents."—The report in its amended form was adopted.