PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3768, 1 June 1926, Page 71

PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION.

TI.XTH ANN AL IdTOIII

The following is the tenth annual report of the executive, together with the reports of the various sectional committees of the Otago l’atriolio 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 tins 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 fiito very carefully, ond while agreeing that such homes will be required in 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 year when it was decided that the principle of dealing with each application on its nieri s, 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 as being due to war service. finance. The Finance Committee reports that meetings wore held when necessary during the year to deal with matters affecting the finances of the association lhe wa: bonds (£50,000) held by the association matured in December last, and after going carefully into the matter the committee decided to invest £45,0C0 in Dunedin City Corporation debentures, with a ctffrency of » repay a loan of £IOOO, clear off the hank overdraft, and deposit £1750 with the City Corporation at call. The cate returned by the new investment—viz.. Si against 4i per cent, from war bond, . means a largely increased income, and the fact that the debentures are in sma! denominations, readily saleable, will mittee to provide funds as they are re quired for the due carrying out of the association’s work. SOLDI El’S AND DEPENDENTS. Members: Mr J. J- Clark (chalrm4.nl Air Chas. Speight (deputy-chairman), Mr S l 'Solomon,VC Mr J. Do,ns Salmon , Mr R. VV. Glendinnmg, Mr J- 4- f Air ,T. Loudon. Mr James Begg, and Mr P. APSkimming. jnn. (representing South Otago), Mr James H-rn and Mi A. B Armour (representing Cent!al Otago). The Otago Soldiers and Dependents Welfare Committee’s report states that the wisdom of conserving the association s funds during the years immediately following the cessation of hostilities becomes more evident as tlie years go >y. The committee is called upon to deal with a variety of cases which can now be regarded as the logical outcome of the war but which could not possibly have been foreseen un*i! the members ot the Expeditionary Force had been repatriated and subjected to the stress of civil Me. The number of applications dealt with during the year under review is slight .v less than that of the previous year, while the expenditure shows a slight mciease. \ very large number of cases now- being dealt with are the result of a breakdown in tlie health of soldiers who have, in many cases, apparently enjoyed normal health since discharge. As a high percentage of these cases prove to be tuberculosis, the question arises as to bow tar 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 1 nds of the Appeal Board has proved a benefit to the sol filers concerned and a source of satisfaction to all interested 11 the welfare ;f 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 nind that the prime purpose of the assoei.tion 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 a* plicant is not recognised as suffering a physical war disability.

Apart from the claims lodged for financial assistance, tlie 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 111 the event of busines 1 failure, and even to open a 6ct 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 .eturned soldiers’ lives. A largely increased number of applications from ex-imperial soldiers was received during the present year, and dealt with on behalf of the War Funds Council. the expenditure on these case 9 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 . uring the war have been dealt with on behalf of the Shipowners’ Fund, assistance jeing 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 hospital work and the administration of comfo. Ls 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. The 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 suffering as the result of their war service. Her advice in very many cases lias 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 «»•"' dealt with. The mount expended on > sistanc-e to soldiers (£3440 11s 6(1) was slightly in excess of tlie 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 7d. The total expenditure on dependents to date amounts to £40,722 5s ?d. The loans granted to date total £15,329 17s Bd. Repayment, generally speaking, has been satisfactory. The balance outstanding is £1513 Is 2d. The sum of £5094 Is sd, representing gratuities and retrospecti , e 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 administration 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 bad been made, that the assistance asked for could not be granted fiom patriotic funds. Fifty-six grants were made totalling £527 19s 3d, and 36 weekly allowances authorised at a total expenditure 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 cases assistance lias been withheld pending further information, which has not yet been furnished by the applicants. One mortgage was discharged, the amount loaned by the committee having 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 tlie quarter on account of loans amount to £B2 10s. Applications received during the quarter from ex-linperial 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 zom during the war, and assistance was granted on behalf of the Sheepowners’ Fund where 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 as the result of war service.

At the beginning of the quarter £173 10s 2d was available for assistance in 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.