NATIONAL WAR FUNDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3619, 24 July 1923, Page 28

NATIONAL WAR FUNDS.

NUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION. ANNUAL REPORT OF COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, July 16. The annual report and statement of accounts of the National War Funds Council for the period from November, Ijlo, to March 31, 1922, has just been issued. A synopsis shows that during the period mentioned tha patriotic societies conecce' £5,750,991; the Detriment of Internal Atlairs remitted private subscriptions totalling £69 829 • the public contributed to the war expenses £159.137; the school children contributed to the Belgian Relief bund £lB 364 ; goods were shipped to the value ot £557,536; the Government subsidised the Belgian Relief Fund by £228.145; a total of £6,784,002, equal on a capitation basis to £S 16s 6d per head of the population ot the dominion. . Tho results so far as is known from ine publication of accounts in other countries is far in excess of anything achieved in the E At'March 31. 1923, the sum of £1.385,067 remained available to meet the various trusts set up under tht provisions of the War Funds Act of 1915 and its amendments. This amount was held as follows: By the incorporated societies, £995,429; by the British Red Cross and the Order of St. John £167.446; by the Blinded Soldiers', Crippled Soldiers', and Veterans’ Home Funds, £29.216; by the Memorial Pams Commitiees, £7389; by New Zealand lreasurv, £29.808; by High Commissioner in London, £8974; by other societies the funos of which are being transferred to the provincial incorporated bodies, £17.369; by National War Funds Council, £129,926. When the trrnistiee occurred there were 983 patriotic societies in active, operation, and on March 31. 1922. owing to the policy of concentrating the funds of the provincial societies adopted by the War Funds Office and approved by the council, only 105 of these remained. 1 he funds of the council are well invested and in a sufficiently liquid stale to permit of all demands on the resources of the council being met without delay. The council administers the fund for the sick and wounded soldiers and their do pendents, blind soldiers. Maori soldiers, and their dependents, the mercantile marine, and the widows and orphans’ fund, particulars of which are set out in the statement of accounts; and. in addition, the council is gradually realising on hutments and equipment no longer required for the recreation of the wounded soldiers in hospitals and sanatoria, the proceeds of the sales being credited to the sick and wounded soldiers’ and their dependents’ fund. Tho council advances money to patriotic societies the capital ot which is not liquid, or alternately purchases their securities, thus saving the consequent loss and ex]>ense of a forced sale on the open market. It provides relief and assistance to ex-Imporial and other Allied soldiers, so as to relieve undue strain of the funds of war relief associations; and the administration of the council has made it possible that, no matter where a "New Zealand Expeditionary Force man who has suffered war disability may be resident, immediate consideration wijd be supplied him on the basis of his necessity and the merits of his case as reported by a local patriotic society or as the result of the council’s investigations. It is not possible to estimate areurat.ely how long the present funds will be available for the relief and assistance to soldiers. because of the many cases of recurring illness and breakdown of men now apparently fit, as the result of war service. The everchanging economic conditions in the dominion are also factors in the matter; hence the necessity for conserving the funds, consistent with reasonable disbursements for the purpose for which they were raised Though there is no limit to the assistance to soldiers and their dependents, so long as such relief is based on necessity, and on the merits of a case and the funds available. patriotic funds cannot be legally expended on many objects outide that for which they were raised; lienee grants to war memorial funds, or subsidies to municipal or other unemployment schemes, cannot be made from the existing funds.