THE CANTEEN FUND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21734, 27 August 1932, Page 11

THE CANTEEN FUND

ASSISTING UNEMPLOYED SOLDIERS INCREASE IN PRESENT GRANT (Special ,jo Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, August 26. For the period of six months from September 1 the present grant by the N.Z.E.F. Canteen and Regimental Funds Trust Board of £IOOO per month for the relief of unemployment among returned soldiers is to be increased to £ISOO per month, according to the decision of the board at the half-yearly meeting to-day. The question will be further reviewed at the annual meeting of the board in February next. The meeting was attended by Major-general Sir Andrew Russell (chairman), Colonels A. E. Stewart, R. St. J. Beere, H. E. Avery and M. Aldred. Mr R. B. Bell, Major L. C. Forgie (secretary), Sir Donald M'Gavin and Drs H. T. D. Acland, D. S. Wylie, D. E. Fenwick and Marshall Macdonald are to be asked to act as an advisory commission to the board on the question of ex-soldiers’ reasonable expectation of economic life. It is reported that the total funds, which last year had reached £207,000, had declined to £198,000. This retrogression was stated to be due to two main reasons. In the first place the previous year’s income of approximately £II,OOO had been reduced by over £IOOO as the result of the provisions of the National Expenditure Adjustment Act. In the second place £15,000 had been devoted to unemployment relief among returned soldiers during the last 12 months, and with the commitments made for the same purpose the total funds will have been reduced to £192,000 by January I next. Consideration was given to a request from the Dominion Council of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association that the board, in addition to expending on unemployment relief all the interest it earned, should vote £20,000 from its capital' for the same purpose. It was decided that for a period of six months as from September 1, 1932, the present grant of £IOOO per month should be increased,to £ISOO per month, that certain should be made to the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association in respect of the allocation of the additional £SOO monthly, and that the question should be further considered at the annual meeting of the board in February, 1933. '