PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19801, 28 May 1926, Page 3

PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION.

TENTH ANN ;AL EEPOET. The following is the tenth annual report of the executive, together with the reports of the various sectional committees of the Otago Patriotic and General Welfare Association : _ EXECUTIVE. Three meetings of the executive were held to receive reports from sub-committees and deal with matters affecting the policy of the association which arose during the year. Careful consideration was given to a suggestion made by the Department of Internal Affairs that the time has arrived to centralise war funds. The executive could not, however, support this proposal, and it was decided that any measure having as its object the centralising of all war funds should be opposed. The matter of making provision for veterans’ homes was gone into very carefully, ond while agreeing that such homes will be required m the future the executive is convinced that it is not yet possible to determine the extent of the 'accommodation which will be required, and for this reason is opposed to a scheme of erecting or taking over buildings which may or may not be required. The policy of dealing with applications from returned soldiers and dependents was gone into very fully during the vear when it was decided that the principle of dealing with each application _on its merits, which was adopted at the inception of the association, should be adhered to and that no application should be_ declined solely on the grounds that the disability the applicant is suffering is not recognised ns netng due to war service.

FINANCE. The Finance Committee reports that meetings were held when necessary during the, year to deal with matters affecting the finances of the association The war bonds (£50,000) held by the association matured in December last, and after going careful y into the matter the committee decided to invest £45,000 in Dunedin City Corporation debentures, with a currency % 20 yeais, renav a loan of £IOOO, clear off the bank overdraft, and deposit £1750 with the l ! Corporation at call. The rate ret«™ed by the new investment—viz., 5i P” ,' en '• against 4i per cent- from war nioans a largely increased income, and the tact that the debentures are in deno.mnations. readily saleable, will .) are °romittee to provide funds as they are re quired for the due carrying out of the association’s work. SOLDIERS AND DEPENDENTS. Members- Mr J. J. Clark (chairman), Mr R W. Glendmmng, Mi J- I- | Mr J. Loudon, Air James Begg. and Mr P. M' Skimming, jun. (rem-esentin Sou Otaco), Mr James and Mr A. t> Armour (representing Central Otego). The Otago Soldiers and Dependents Welfare Committees report states tha the wisdom of conserving the as ? oC ’j ltl0 f " 1 s funds during the years immediately tol lowing the cessation of hostilities becomes 5 more evident as the years go by. “committee is called upon to deal with a variety of cases -winch can now be regarded as the logical outcome of the war, but which could not possibly ha c been foreseen until the members o£ the Expeditionary Force had been repatriated and subjected to the stress of civil life. The number of applications dealt with during the year under review is shghtly less than that of the previous year, while the expenditure shows a slight increase. A very large number of cases now being dealt wuh are the result of a breakdown in the health of soldiers yhohave.in many cases, apparently enjoyednormal health since discharge. As a high percentage of these cases prove to be tuberculosis, the question arises as to how far the incidence of this disease can be regarded as the natural result of active service conditions. In this connection the sympathetic consideration these cases receive at the hands oi the Appeal Board has proved a benefit to the sqliders concerned and a source of satisfaction to all interested it the welfare cf returned soldiers. The committee has gradually extended the scope of its work during the years which have followed the demobilisation of the Expeditionary Force, and, while bearing in mind that the prime purpose of the association is to render aid to soldiers, or dependents of such, who are admittedly suffering as the result of war service* has not withheld assistance solely on the grounds that an applicant is not recognised as suffering a physical war disability. , , , , - Apart from the claims lodged for financial assistance, the committee is called up —in many cases successfully to secure employment for soldiers, attend to the custody or care of children, advise in business matters, secure a compromise with creditors, and assist to re-establish in the event of busines 1 ’ failure, and even to open a set of books where a soldier is taking up business and teach him how to keep them. There is no doubt that this organisation, shaped by years of experience, has become an integral part of the returned soldiers’ lives. A largely increased number of applications from cx-Imperial soldiers was received during the present year, and dealt with on behalf of the War Funds Council. the expenditure on these cases being refunded by the council in accordance with the arrangements entered_ into with the various patriotic associations when the council took over responsibility two years ago. From the committee s experience, ranging over a number of years, it is convinced that the discharged soldiers settlement scheme is providing New Zealand with a very desirable type of citizen. Applications from men who suffered injury afloat i.uring the war have been dealt with on behalf of the Sheepowners’ Fund, assistance oeing granted in accordance with instructions received from the Sheepowners’ Fund, the amount expended being refunded in due course. The co-operation existing between the Red Cross and the Returned Soldiers’ Association and the committee is in a large measure responsible for the facility with which the committee is enabled to deal with any type of application. The Red Cross Society, in taking over hosnital work and the administration of comfoits to soldiers in hospital, has relieved the committee of this branch of patriotic work, while the work of the Returned Soldiers’ Association in Appeal Board cases is invaluable, x'he arrangement entered into by the committee with the Returned Soldiers’ Club ensures that any soldier, genuinely in need, can be provided with a first-class meal.

The committee’s honorary lady visitor, Mrs Park, has devoted herself wholeheartedly to the work amongst the wives and children of soldiers who are sufferingas the result of their war service. Her advice in very many cases has been of great assistance to the committee. APPLICATION' COMMITTEE. The Application Committee reports that 29 meetings were held during the year. 647 applications being considered and dealt with. The mount expended on ssistance to soldiers (£3440 11s 6d) was slightly in excess of the expenditure for the previous year. The total applications from soldiers dealt with since the inception of the fund now stands at 15,999. and the expenditure to date at £72,595 16s 7J. The total expenditure on dependents to date amounts to £40,722 5s 7d. The loans granted to date total £15,320 17s Bd. Repayment, generally speaking, has been satisfactory. The balance outstanding is £1513 Is 2d. The sum of £3094 Is sd, representing gratuities and retrospective allowances withheld by the Defence Department, for various reasons, was disbursed at the request of the department, usually at a weekly rate. The balance held in trust for beneficiaries is £317 6s 6d. The adminb ration expenses show a further reduction this year of £36 3s 7d. QUARTERLY REPORT.

The quarterly report of the Soldiers and Dependents’ Welfare Committee states that 10 meetings of the Claims Committee were held during the quarter ended April 30, 1926, the total applications dealt with numbering 189. Sixty-two applicants were the responsibility of other associations, and their applications were investigated and referred to their respective societies, being dealt with in accordance with the wishes of the societies concerned.

Fifteen applications were declined, it being apparent, after full inquiries had been made, that the assistance asked for could not be granted fi om patriotic funds. Fifty-six grants were made totalling £527 19s 3d, and 36 weekly allowances authorised at a total cxpen-Fture of £344. These allowances were granted for varying periods, and were reconsidered from time to time if necessary. Consideration of 15 applications was deferred for various reasons, Assistance being eventually granted to a number of these applicants. In a few casta assistance has been withheld pending fu. then information, which has not yet been furnished by the applicants. One mortgage was discharged, the

amount loaned by the committee having i been repaid in full, and in four cases the conditions of repayment of loans were varied at the request of the borrowers. The repayments received during the quarter on account of loans amount to £B2 10s. Applications received during the quar- | ter from ex-imperial and other overseas soldiers were referred to the National . War Funds Council for consideration, , and were dealt with in accordance with instructions received from the council, the amount advanced being refunded by the council in due course. Applications were received from men | who served with the mercantile marine in the danger zone during the war, and assistance was granted on beh,alf of the Sheepowners’ Fund whore it was proved to the satisfaction of that committee that the appplicants’ disabilities were directly due.to injury afloat during the war or to ! dependents of seamen who lost their lives j as the result of war service. At the beginning of the quarter £17.5 10s 2d was available for assistance m cases where the applicants were not recognised as suffering war disabilities. The expenditure on these cases during the quarter was £l7O, leaving a credit balance in this fund of £3.