FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17503, 20 December 1918, Page 5

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

HIGH WATER MARK PASSED.

DROP IN NEW APPLICATIONS.

A drop in new applications is one of the interesting features of tho Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board's report on November's operations. ■ Evidently the hign-water mark of this useful scheme lias 'been reached, for the progress of demobilisation will result in grants being withdrawn as the soldiers resume civil occupation. The assistance does not stop immediately the soldier leaves camp with his discharge. It goes on for one month, during which timo tho soldier is also drawing pay and other allowances. The actual position of the scheme, showing to what magnitude it developed while the war was in progress, was as follows on November 30th: Assistance to: Number. Total Appellants 258 £10,047 "Non-appellants 4651 140,360 Voluntary recruits • ... 1397 49,036 Members N.Z.E.F. ... 2834 79,731 Grand total 9190 £279,174 The secretary of tho board states that during November 297 new applications were received, compared with 1128 during the previous month. Carrying on its work in connection with applications previously in hand, it dealt with 1287 cases, including 259 reconsiderations. Grants were made in 563 cases, 218 applications were declined, 27 deferred for further information from the applicants, and no fewer than 479 withdrawn, owing , chiefly to the fact that the applicants realised that there was no likelihood of their going info camp. Last month's expenditure for soldiers' assistance totalled just over £12,000, made up thus:—Rent, £5072; interest, £2255; instalments, £186; rates, £261; life insurance, £3930; firo insurance, £128; lodge fees, £63; National Provident Fund, £37; confinement expenses, £48; miscellaneous, £58.