PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18319, 9 August 1921, Page 9

PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION

MEETING OF EXECUTIVE. " A meeting of the executive of the Otago Patriotic and General Welfare Association was held yesterday morning in the rooms of the association, No. li Bond street. In the unavoidable absence of the president, the chair was occupied by Mr G. L. Denniston, and there was a fairly full attendance of members. Mi' G. B. Westwood wrote asking for financial assistance towards an orchestra. — A member suggested that the association’s funds were not available tor such a purpose.—lt was finally decided that the matter be referred to the Soldiers’ Club with power to act; a suggestion, thrown out earlier, being that a grant of £2O be made out of the Unconditional Fund. The treasurer’s report was adopted without comment. The substance of it. as to tne various funds, showed the following balances ;—Great Britain and Ireland Fund, ±JI6o; tjueen Carnival Fund, overdrawn (no sum mentioned); Expeditionary Fund, £(d Ids KJd; Unconditional Fund, £bbl ids; \\ omen’s Association Fund, ±11558 17s 9d; Foies’ Belief Fund. £(9 4s bd. ,Ad the sums mentioned were credits and the total credit was ±/85t)7 lbs 9d. —Adopted. The Boluiers' and Dependents’ Welfare Committecs’a report reads as follows; —two hundred and sixteen applications from returned soldiers were considered, being dealt witu as staled hereunder— viz.:—l' uly-one grants amounting to ±io4s bs 3d and 4b allowances aggregating at the weekly rate ol 809 lis 6el were made. Two loans were granted totalling £2lO and secured by registered second mortgage; lour mortgages were discharged, tho amount of the loan being repaid m full in each case; 30 applications were declined; 4( deterred; three were reierrcd to the Bairn Board; turee to thy Bepatriati,oii Depaiiment; one to the Be a bioss society ; one to tuo hospital and tmaruabie Bid Board; and 16 were reicrrecl to other associations, iwo allowances were discontinued and in 16 cases rearrangements were made regarding the rate oi repayments of loans. the distribution ol comforts, tobacco, and cigarettes to tne in-patients ol tne Dunedin Fublic hospital, Clyde vliospital, and toeaclill Mental Hospital, and Fleasant Valley and Wahan sanatoria was continued, mommy parcels being sent to tho outlying hospitals, wmie the Bev. V. G. Bryan Bang has attended to the distribution to tlie inpatients at Dunedin Fublic Hospital. There is at present a total ol 129 in-patients and 1(4 out-patients under treatment at the various nospiiais in Otago. A statement ol receipts and payments of the committee showed that there was a balance in hand of BsOo 16s 9d.

Air Speignt pointed out that in certain cases applications were made tor relict that could not be granted owing to the operations 01 tno committee being limited by resolution. When anyone was suitering irom disability, not necessarily directly through the war, but as the result of what hud afterwards arisen in consequence of the war, the committee was not authorised to grant assistance. He asked that £2OO be authorised to meet the position. 'Hie Chairman remarked that they could not go very tar wrong in granting the requests. Air J. Begg moved that authority bo given to expend money, as called tor, up to £2OO. He knew these cases.

Hie report was adopted, and the motion carried.

A memorandum regarding the finances was submitted by the secretary, the Chairman explaining that there was no Finance Committee’s report. The memorandum was to the effect that on July 31, 1921, there was cash in hand £IOO, and at the bank, in war funds No. 2, £BO6 13s 9d, and in the bank, in war funds account No. 1, £126 5s 10d; making a total of £1032 19s 9d. This was estimated to last until the end of October next. Under the circumstances it had been found necessary for the committee to avail itself of a loan of £2OOO from the Sinking Fund Commissioners. On November 1, £IOOO, borrowed from Mr C. R. Smith, was repayable, and an arrangement had been made with the Bank of New Zealand to raise this money on overdraft. As interest amounting to £1125 was payable on December 12, 1921, it was hoped that no sale of bonds would be necessary until February, 1922.—The memorandum was received.