PATRIOTIC AND WELFARE ASSOCIATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18877, 1 June 1923, Page 10

PATRIOTIC AND WELFARE ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Otago Patriotic and General- Wei fate Association was held in the Council Chambers yesterday morning. Mr J. J. Clark (vice-president) presided over a fair attendance of members. Mr J. S. Douglas, in moving the adoption of. the Executive Committee s report laid special emphasis on the very valuable visiting work that had been performed by Mrs Park and Miss Runcinmn. Mr G. L. Denniston seconded the motion which was carried without discussion. Mr Denniston moved the adoption of the Finance Committee’s report, remarking with satisfaction that during' the year the committee hud been aide to meet its obligations without resorting to the necessity of selling any of ils bonds. Mr R. W. Glcndinning seconded the motion which was carried. The Chairman moved the adoption of the report of the Soldiers’ anil Dependents’ Welfare Committee. He slated that on the present ocasion they had thought it wise to place liefore members facts and figures covering the wdiole of the eight years since the sotting up of this committee. It would bo seen that during that time 12,000 soldiers and dependents had’ applied to the'committeo for assistance and the sum of £146,539 had been spent in helping them. Ho thought those figures should be quite sufficient to remove the impression in some minds that the money was being stored up and not used for the benefit of the soldiers. They had tried to see that no deserving case which came within the scope of the committee was turned down and to do all possible to help the soldier and his dependents. The committee regretted that it was not possible for the report of the. War Pensions Committee to bo made publjc.- Perhaps there might bo good reason for not making known its recommendations until they were placed before Parliament, but they felt that it was a matter of regret that those who were interested in the matter should not be afi forded a full opportunity of discussing and j investigating the recommendations before j they were tabled in the House. It was i hoped that the recommendations would i do much to remove the existing anomalies ■ and injustices. l>ufc they would have liked : the opportunity of representing in the proper quarter their reasons for or against the i various recommendations before these were I submitted to Parliament. It could , not be i denied that many alterations were required ; in connection with pensions arid the comi mitteo, which had had many experiences j of anomalies, would like to see some o. these rectified. Continuing, Mr Clark said that the association had spent over £7OOO on soldiers in hospital in New Zealand. After an investigation it had been found desirable to hand this work to the Red Cross Society and that' society had now undertaken it and was doing it well. During the past year the committee had dealt with 845 applications for assistance, thus showing that the need still existed for them to continue their ministrations. He cordially endorsed what Mr Douglas had said respecting their two visiters, Mrs Park and Miss Runciman. and assured these two ladies that the work which they were doing so faithfully and so unostentatiously was warmly recognised by the members of the committee. ’ The cornmittee also had a good deal of work to perform as the representative of the War Funds Council, and the Wool Growers’ Fund, and their thanks were due in particular to the later body, which had dealt generously with all cases brought under its notice. 'Hie expenses of the assooiation - wero being steadily reduced, and they hoped that there would be a still further saving this year. In the matter of administrative expenses the Otago Association occupied the enviable position of being the least costly of any of the large associations—a result that was largely due to the ■ groat amount of voluntary assistance, which they received. Their thanks were also due to the Returned Soldiers’ Association for its help, and to their secretary (Mr E. R. Grace) for his efficient services.—(Applause.) Mr Clark added that the sum of £13.466 had been given out as loans to soldiers and in all those cases the committee endeavoured to make the loan reproductive so that it was used to set the soldier on his feet. Their experience had been that the great majority of the men who had received loans had kept the terms of repayment.- (Applause.) . ' , Mr 11. L. Tapley seconded the motion, and said that as “Mayor of the city he wished to thank the members of the Executive Committee for the splendid work which they were performing. Mr A. C. Laing, secretary of the Returned Soldiers’ Association, said that his association had also been endeavouring to secure the publication of the report of the Pensions’ Committee, but without avail, lie. heartily echoed the sentiments of the previous speakers regarding the lady visitors. The motion was carried. ELECTION OF OFFICE-BEARERS. •

The election of office-bearers for the ensuing vear resulted as follows: —President, the Mayor (Mr IT. L. Tapley); vice-presi-dent. Mr J. J. Clark; Executive Committee—Sir George Fenwick Messrs D. EThoomin, J. Loudon. Chas. Speight, S. Solomon. J. T. Paul, J, U Salmoiid, R. W. Glendinning, R. Cbnn. E. A. Rosevear, \ B Armour, James Begg, G. L. iJcniusion, E. 0. .Haalett. J. U M‘George, P. M'Skimming, jun., J. B. Shacklock, G. At. Smith. Jaa. Horn, Wm. Begg, A. Geddes, J S Douglas. .A. C. .Laiug, Dr l! niton, and the Rev. F. G. Gumming; lion, treasurer, Mr G. A. Lewm; secretary, Mr E. R. Grace. , , , The Finance Committee was re-elected as follows :-Mr G L Dennistoip the Mavor. Messrs J. ‘B. Shackioek. R. W. Glendinning O. R. Smith, C. Speight, and

D. E. Theomin. Messrs J. J- Clark. O. Speight, R. M. Glendinning, and J. Loudon were re-elected to net with the following life members of the Soldiers’ and Dependents’ Welfare Com-mittee:-Messrs J. L. Salmond, S. Solomon, J. T. Paul, Jas. Begg, P. M Skimming Jas. Horn, and A. B. Armour. ATr’ Theomin referred in complimentary tenns to the 1 highly efficient manner in which Mr Lewin. despite his countless other duties fuir.llcd the functions of treasurer. On jus motion Mr Lewm was aeeorocd a very hearty vote of thanks by acclamation. Sir George Fenwick said he thought, they should recognise in a similar manner the enormous amount of work done by the Soldiers’ and Dependents’ Committee, and he moved accordingly. Mr Douglas, in supporting the motion, expressed his high appreciation of the workdone on this committee by Mr Clark. The motion was carried. The Mavor made appropriate reference to the death of Father Coffey while he was abroad, stating that ho was one of the original members of the committee, and that he had always been nn active worker. The meeting paid a tribute of respect to the memory of Father Coffey by standing in silence.

QUARTERLY MEETING

The quarterly meeting of (he association prci'etlci] tile annual meeting, i\ii J. J. Clark presiding. . . The Returned Soldiers Association, writing with reference to the Sargood bequest, made an application for a continuance of the existing grant. , , The Chairman stated that it had been decided to equally distribute between the Relumed Soldiers’ Association and the Y.MC.A. the funds available from the bequest. What was now required was instructions ns to whether the present course should be contiuuod for the next 12 months. The Returned Soldiers had had one payment and the Tf.M.C.A. two Mr G. L. Denniston moved, and Mr J. 1,. Salmond seconded, that the present arrangement be continued for 12 months, the motion being agreed to. .. The trustees of the Lawrence Patriotic Society's funds (in connection with which there 'was « balance of £B4 3s 4d) wrote agreeing to a transfer of the money to the Otago Society. A cheque for the amount named was forwarded by the Lawrence Association.—The application for a transfer of the funds was agreed to on the motion of Mr Rosevonr. seconded by Mr Theomin. On the adoption of the bon. treasurer’s report being moved, the chairman said that (here was a considerable amount still lying to the credit of New Zealand at the High Commissioner's Office, at the end of the year, and it was probable that an application' would be made to have this transferred.—Sir George Fenwick moved that the money be transferred to,, the ' credit of the unconditional fund, as set' out in the treasurer’s statement.—Mr J. Bogg seconded the motion, which was carried. The Chairman moved the adoption of the report, of the Returned Soldiers and Dependents’ Welfare Committee for the last quarter.- Members. would have an opportunity at the annual meeting (to follow) of discussing the work of the committee.— Mr Salmond seconded the' motion, which was agreed to.