OTAGO PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17320, 21 May 1918, Page 8

OTAGO PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATES

MEETING OF EXECUTIVE. I " onthl y meeting of the executive of the Otago Patriotic and General "Welfare Association was held yesterday mornMayor (Mr J. J. Clark) prorho Otago Daily Times Companv wrote forwarding a cheque for £25, representing adonation received from Mr George H West (of St. Barnabas College, Norfolk Island), who desired it to be applied to the assistance of Boldiers and their dependents ■111l 11 , 8 wax bad ended.—Acknowledged with thanks, the Mayor remarking that it was . very satisfactory to get money from so far afield. . The acting-secretary of the Y.M.CA wrote making application for a cheque for ±.125 forwarded to the association by Messrs Sargood, Son, and Ewen for soldiers' work r^K US agency of the Otago Soldiers' Uub The writer added that a very large number of soldiers were now availing themselves of opportunity for membership in the association, as outlined by Mr Sat--good s letter to the Patriotic Committee, under date of August 16, 1916, no fewer thaxi 35 applications for membership beinc made during the month of March.-Cheque at i orward<id to the Y.M.C.A.. . Mr .A- Bathgate, chairman of a meeting of the lato Apple Show Committee, wrote forwarding a copy of a resolution protesting against the allocation of the proceeds of _ the National Patriotio Apple , j' and declining to accept the amount tendered. Continuing,_ the letter stated that a. reply to this resolution had been received from the federation, which stated that it could no, see its way to reopen the question. Mr Bathgate also detailed at length arrangements under which tho tea rooms at tho show had been conducted bv the members of the Women's Patriotic Association. Iho amount to be divided should J? av . e , be t n 6s 7d, plus debits of £54 £ ld ' ° Q f Otago's share would have been £83 lis Id, whereas the actual amount tendered had been £18 18s. The committee, however had seen no other course open but to decline the amount mentioned. J. no Apple fallow Committee now placed the matter before the Association for further action. The Mayor said they could ?u° °S res , s , Ir opinion too strongly of the attitude ta.ken up by tho federation.— Mr bpeight said the association could onlv receive tho letter. The monev had already been paid out, and it was hopeless to expect to get anything further from tho federation. —Iho li-tter was received. Letters were received from the Advisory Board m Wellington with reference to the payment of tho amounts already promised to tho regimental funds and tho fund for ht men,' which is administered by the New Zealand War Contingent Association in London. Iheso amounts are £649 and £3a() per annum respectively.—Tho treasurer was authorised to pay the nccessary instalment.., 01 these sums. The Dunodin Returned Soldiers' Associations, writing as to increased allowances and pensions, stated that a resolution had been passed demanding on behalf of returned soldiers that such allowances and pensions be made retrospective. The motion further emphasised that the Minister of Defence by refusing to recognise tho justness of tho associations claim, was placing a lower value on voluntary than on enforced service. Tho writer of the letter requested in ins official capacity, the co-operation of tho .Patriotic Association in bringing about a proper recognition of the claims of returned soldiers. —The Hon. J. T. Paul made a long speech on tho position, in the course of which ho pointed out that his experience generally was that these allowances, as they appeared in the press and oil paper did not always work out in actual practice. Sometimes we were apt to be a. "it pharisaical in making comparisons with other countries as to allowances, fauch comparisons had been made recently and ho protested against them. Mr Paul's point, put briefly, was that the compari«ins were made under very different conditions. Ho elaborated the point, and quoted specifro instances, and to support liis contention, one instance may be taken, the comparison being made between Canada and Aew Zealand; "l n Canada there is no chlldren >, so that the total j j t pcr wce k can never be exceeded however many children a soldier i Ve " ■ was Tho £2 12s lid consists of tho private's pay and the wife allowance. As a fact, tho wife's U1 Ca " acln - llad been iixed at Os lOd per wceOc for over a twelvemonth, whilst in New Zealand it was 7s per week during the same period. The same unfair comparisons were mado as to the cost of ln Canada the income of the i atriotic Association was voluntary up to a point, but public bodies, like the Citv Corporation, contributed regularly. In NewZealand the sources of income were all voluntary. It was not fair to tell tho people of tins country that in Canada there was no allowance for children. Tho fact was that Canada had not yet reached the position that •Sow Zealand liad reached, but when she did tho allowance there would be brought into line with ours.—Ultimately the application was referred to the Soldiers and Dependents' Welfare Committee for report. . Hon. Treasurer reported tho receipts since last meeting to have been £668 is lis (including &<awj to tho Soldiers' Welfare Committee). A statement showing tho position of the respective funds under the control of the association disclosed tliat the Belgian Relief oj 1 " , slKwe( A "• credit balance of £7390 6s 9d; the Queen Carnival Fund, £10,152 9s 6d ; and the Unconditional Fund, £2031 5s 3d. Other funds showed small credits. The total receipts in respect to all funds was 7 S 13s, and tho expenditure 13s 10c1, leaving a credit balance addition, tile sum of (part of Queen Carnival Fund) had been invested in Government debentures.— Tho report was received. In connection with the Soldiers and Dependents' Welfare Committee's report the Mayor emphasised two points—the" pressure to provide mufti for returned men, and the finding of employment for such men. Tho Hon. J. T. Paul spoke at length on the latter point, and Mr G. T. Catto followed — Hie report was adopted. adopted' lnance ornrn ittce's report was also