FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3337, 27 February 1918, Page 5

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE BOARD.

GRIEVANCES OF SECOND DIVISION I LEAGUE. • !' • SIR JAMES ALLEN'S EXPLANATION. WELLINGTON, Febiuary 21. The Second Division League, whioh 'recently has been criticising adversely the work of the Financial Assistance Board, waited upon Sir James Allen to-day to state a case against the board. Mr Armstrong, president of the league, said that the deputation had come to meet the Minister in consequence of representations made to the league in connection with decisions of the Financial Assistance Board. It wished to mention also the separation allowance and other matters affecting the homes and dependents of soldiers the ' league wanted to improve. It would supply names and details in order that the Minister might make investigations. Mr Armstrong wished to ask on behalf of the league for a fairly definite assurance from the Minister that the grievances would be remedied. There was great anxiety among the Second Division men, and if the deputation could take away something more than an assurance that the matters raised would receive careful consideration, the confidence which had been sadly shaken would be, in a measure ,restored. He emphasised that they did not desire that soldiers' wives and dependents should have to battle for justice, and objected to official inquiries as to whether the wife was likely to go to work. They held that a woman's capacity to earn should not come into the question at all. He quoted the details of several cases which had been considered by the league. Referring to the payment of a separation allowance to home service men, Mr Armstrong said the department ought to discriminate between men living in their own homes and men actually separated from their families. Mr H. F. Toogood objected to the board insisting on the allotment of 3s 6d to a wife, and leaving only Is 6d a day for the man himself. The league contended that a married man had even more right 'to establish a nest egg for his return than a single man had. His financial resources should not be exhausted while he was on service.

Mr C. H. Chapman advocated for an increase of the separation allowances to 6s a day for a wife and Is a day for a child. Sir James Allen, replying, said he was very glad to see them and hear what they had to say. The Government and the Minister of Defence were very desirous that those who came before the Financial Assistance Board should be treated liberally. It was his intention that the board should deal with them liberally, and he hoped it was doing so. He wanted to say that he thought it would have been better had they, before presenting their cases in public, laid them before him and got the board's side of the case, and then presented both sides together. If they could show .that any injustice had been done it would be rectified. He was not able that day to say whether the decision of the board in the cases cited were right in principle. He would have to have them fully examined. Dealing with the question of the refusal of the Financial Assistance Board to pay a premium on a new life insurance policy for £2OO, and the written statement of the secretary that the board had no authority for doing so, the Minister said he .thought the letter the- deputation had read must have been written by the secretary of the board under a misunderstanding.- They must know themselves that the payment of such premiums had been authorised in those cases. In reply to questions, Sir James said the letter seemed to have been sent from the office of the board under a misapprehension, and he gave his assurance that it would be put right. He added that he had had inquiries made as to the policy of the board in dealing with these policies, and he was informed that the ' board would grant premiums for policies already taken out. -If a man wished to take out a new policy for £2OO he must do so at his own risk, and he must take it out before approaching the board. If he wished to have any assistance from 'the board in the payment of premiums ths board certainly had power to grant premiums and war loading for new policies in cases of hardship. There were cases where the board did not pay premiums, because the men were well able to do so themselves. A point had been made about the question jei a wife going to work. He was informed that the board did not ask a wife whether she was going to work, and had never done so. Regarding the allotments, he thought it essential that a married man should leave 3s 6d a day to his wife. It had been decided that the amount a married man should leave his wife before ho asked for assistance should be 3s 6d a day. He thought this a reasonable amount, and was satisfied that a married man did not need more than ls_6d a day at the front. Sir James said CTiat it could not be claimed that home service men were in the same position as men who had to go and fight. The home service man volunteered, and the fighting man was compelled to go. Regarding the Financial Assistance Board, he said he wanted them to believe that he was honest in his intention, when he framed the regulations and created the board scheme, that it was designed in order to eliminate cases of hardship. As far as he knew, the board had been sympathetic and was doing its work well. Ho was prepared, however, at any time to reconsider the constitution of the board if it was not giving satisfaction. The board, however, had a difficult task to handle. They could not grant every amount asked for, and refusal doubtless created concern in the minds oi those affected. He was sorry to hear the expressions of lacking confidence in 'the board. In reply to a question, the Minister said he could not promise to constitute boards all over the country, for the reason that .that would create a variety of judgments and grave anomalies. He concluded by saying that he was always willing to get assistance from them. He wanted them to work with him and his department. Where there wero attempts to exploit the Government it was his duty to protect the

Government. They could rest assured that whatever he could do would be done, but he asked them to go to him candidly when they had grievances, and let him know what they were.