PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION

Otago Witness, Issue 3518, 16 August 1921, Page 5

PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION

MEETING OF EXECUTIVE. A meeting of the executive of the Otago Patriotic and General Welfare Association was held last Monday morning in the rooms of the association, No. ir Bonn street. In the unavoidable absence of the president, the chair was occupied by Mr G. L. Dcnniston, and there was a fairly full attendance of members. The treasurer’s report was adopted without comment. The substance of it. as to tiie various funds, showed the following balances:—Great Britain and Ireland Fund, £138; Queen Carnival Fund, overdrawn (no sum mentioned); Expeditionary Fund, £7B 10s lCld; Unconditional Fund, £651 19s; Women's Association Fund, £1358 17s 9d; Poles’ Reiief Fund, £79 4s 6d. Ail the sums mentioned were credits and the total credit was £2507 l&s 9d. —Adopted. ihe .Soldiers’ and Dependents’ Welfare Committees s report reads as follows :—Two hundred and sixteen applications from returned soldiers were considered, being dealt with as stated hereunder — viz. : —Fitty-one grants amounting to £345 8s 3d and 46 allowances aggregating at the weekly rate of £69 1/s 6't were made. Two loans were granted totalling £2lO and tecured by registered second mortgage; tour mortgages were disco;ngeet, the amount cf the loan being repaid m full in each case; 30 applications were declined; 47 deferred; three were tfcb. uxa to the Land Board; three to tiro. Repatriation Department; one to the Red cross Society; one to the Hospital and L navi fa bio Aid Board; and 16 were rct-rred to other associations. two allowances were discontinued and in 13 cases re-dr;iviigeu,cuts were made regarding the race ot repayments of loans. The distribution oi conitcrts, tooacco, and cigarettes to the in-patients ot l-ue Dunedin Public Hospital, Clyde Hospital, and Jocacliff Mental Hospital, and thasani Valley and vVakai-i .-sanatoria was continued, monthly parcels being sent to the outlying hospitals, wmie tiie Rev. V. G. Bryan Ring has attended to the distribution to the inpatients at Dunedin Public Hospital. There is at present a total ot 129 in-patients and 174 out-patients under treatment at, the various hospitals in Otago. A statement of receipts and pay ments of the committee showed that there was a balance in hand of £906 13s 9d. Mr Speight pointed out that in certain cases applications were made for relief that could not be granted owing- to the operations of the committee being limited by resolution. When anyone was suffering from disability, not necessarily directly through the war, but as the result of what had 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. Tiie Chairman remarked that they could not go very far wrong in granting the requests. / .Mr J. Begg moved that authority be given to expend money, as called for, up to £2OO. He knew these cases. ihe report was adopted, and the motion oarried. 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 iti the bank, in war funds account No. 1. £126 5s lOd; making a total of £1032 19s 9d. 1 bis 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 monev on overdraft. As interest amounting to £1125 was payable on December 12, 1921. it was honed that no sale of bonds would’be necessary until February, 1922.--The memorandum was received.