SOLDIERS' ASSISTANCE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14936, 14 June 1919, Page 9

SOLDIERS' ASSISTANCE.

AMENDED REGULATIONS. (Speciai to the Herald.) WELLINGTON, this day. As the amended regulations of the Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board do not fully indicate their effect, it may be explained that they invest the Board j with an important extension of power ) to consider applications which had formerly to be declined, as they were not made while a soldier was m the forces. The original financial assistance scheme came into operation m January, 1916, after thousands of men had left New Zealand. Some of their dependents were aware they could make applications for grants to meet obligations which could not be met out of soldiers' pay, the Board being able to Telieve any cases of financial hardship due to military service. A large number of men, however, did not know of the existence of the scheme until their return to New Zealand to be discharged within 21 days. As the scheme provides that grants should cease on discharge/and that they could not be made retrospective, the Board was unable to assist these cases. The Minister of Defence therefore amended the regulations go as to enable returned men to make applications for financial assistance within three months from June 10, or m the case of men still to return, within tne three months of their disembarkation. The Board is em. powered to make grants m respect to liabilities incurred since the inception of the scheme m January, 1916. Thus it will be possible, where it is shown that interest on" mortgages has got into arrears owing to inability to meet payments out of military pay, to make a grant covering arrears as from January, 1916. The new l'egulations also empower the Bqard to continue financial assistance for six months after discharge m specdal cases. Though the financial assistance scheme has been much discussed since its inception, it is evident that a large number of persons intended to be relieved through its operation of financial hardship were m ignorance of what the Government was prepared to do for them, but the new regulations open the door to the consideration of those cases which under former regulations were barred by the time limit.