WAR RELIEF ASSOCIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 December 1917, Page 3

WAR RELIEF ASSOCIATION.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of delegates ivas held yesterday at Stratford. Present: Messrs W. P. Kirkwood (Stratford) in the chair, J. Stevenson (Mamiia;, (i. Urcoml, (Palea), O. K. Uellriiiircr (Now Plymouth), W. E. Porcival (luglewoodl, I'. W. Atkiii-.on (North Taranaki), It. Mills (llawera), 11. L. Snratt (Returned Soldiers), and R. J. Dunn (Farmers' Union). The secretary reported that the balance at the bank on 'December 0 was £2Bl 13s 3d, P.O. Savings Bank £9057 2s 4d, received since last meeting .£33. EMPLOYING RETURNED SOLDIERS. The secretary, with Mr. Spratt,, had met the secretary of the New Plymouth Association and conferred on the matter of instituting a suitable scheme re employment of discharged soldiers. Instructions have beep given to secretaries to place the matter before their committees, who will furnish Mr. Spratt with a report, Those; awaiting employment were: Inglewood 1, tfjtham' 2, Manaia 1, New Plymouth 1, Stratford 1. Mr. Spratt said they had held a meeting, and m a result had decided to have u- register, also an advertisement in the papers, announcing what class of labor was desirable. A man at New Plymouth and Haw.era would look after these mattors. They also submitted the following resolution: "That the War Relief Association represent to the Advisory Board that it, urge upon the Government that preference should in all cases be givn to returned soldiers when suitable for Government billots. That the' Civil Service Commissioner, and the departments. not under the Commissioner, be instruct-i ed that when a position in the civil service falls vacant in any provincial district the War Relief and Returned Soldiers' Association in that district be notified of the vacancy immediately." He thought they could do certain' works, cuch as noxious weeds inspector or inoculation agent. The Advisory Board could render a lot of assistance to returned soldiers in this direction. They did not desire preference except in the ca« of where other conditions equal, and in those cases they should receive the preference. Mr. Stevenson said inoculation work was very strenuous. It meant long journeys and lravy toil. He knew something about the work. Mr. Spratt raid hfc merol'y mentioned these avenues of employment. A Ilawkc's Ray man had taken up this class , f work. -Air. Larcomb was in favor of the j./.v , posals and thought the demands very , reasonable. Mr. Bellrihgor said there were instances of men declining ccrT-.in work at , 10s per day, considering they should earn ; £ * or £5 a week, and he thought the returned soldier:,' register would he vtv , beiisiieisil to the men seeking work and , aho to the employers.

A resolution on the lines de-'"d by the Returned Soldiers' A-.ooiation was then carried, to be forwarded to the Advi-ory Board. Later on the ql'«stion was revived by the New Plymouth delegate. 31.-. Bellringer, who stated that the prV';U'n of ■finding sultabh employ—"nt for tho returned soldiers would engage the attention of th« association. In this connection he had received a letter from Mr. 11. Goodacro, of the Egmont Boot F---.ory, who said he had received several applic.lons from men wishing to brim the trade, adding that no doubt (ho committee world bj considering this matte:' at the next meeting. Regarding wages, this could be. arranged and approved by the Labor Department. GRANTING LOANS. The matter of placing loans to returned soldiers on something of a permanent basis as far as existing funds go. was reviewed. Recently the c;-r.c> tion was asked whether the assot.'..'.ki:i could continue to grant loans up to £SOO, and this, with an application of a loan of £SOOO by the Stratford Borough Council, created a little discussion. In the opinion of 3lr. Stevenson £SOO was not sufficient to finance an r.vo-.'-'ro - ' »r:-.rr.-.iaki farm. Should the association secure the milk cheques of the applicants direct from the dairy companies they would lie safe in financing lar-'r amounts on the same security. Furl' r, ;f they placed their loans on the same lines as loan institutions they coidd grant £7BO, and this in ■ six ' months would be reduced to £SOO. Mr. Bellringer stated there was a. likelihood of a reduction rather than an increase. In a -.3- • to Mr. Spratt it was stated the full amount that can be granted is £SOO. The secretary gave details of how the amounts had been allocated, stati; 'hat (.32 grants, aggro--Mng £OOOO, had been made. A resolution was carried that in fife 'event of the street loan proposals being carried the War Relief Association grant the Stratford Borough Council £SOOO on' terms outlined by the secretary.

PIHAMA PATRIOTIC C(^""TTEE. Mr. Dunn reported that tiu Pihama Patriotic Committee held a meeting on November 10, when it was decided to join the association, Mr. 3fcNiell being appointed as representative of the Cotinty of Egmont Ijcaguo. The secretary stated that on the suggestion of Mr. Dunn ha had communicated with the County of Egmont League, suggesting that' they invite a representative of the Pihama and Te Kiri Committees to attend the association meetings,- hut so far ho had not received any replies from either of the three committcs mentioned. GENERAL. The Auckland Patriotic. Association wrote suggesting that t!!e cost of upkeep of a motor-car for Cambridge sanatorium should be borne by the patriotic societies i« the North Island. They also inquired whether the Taranaki Association pays for a car used for similar purposes in Taranaki.—The chairman 1 said they should pay a proportion of the cast when it is incurred, and a motion upholding the chairman's views was carried. An appeal from Featherston Camp soliciting a subscription to the "Camp Record," a book to provide a memorial to soldiers who die in camp, was referred to the various patriotic committees. . The application by the Now Plymouth Committee to the Emergency Committee for a loan of £25 to procure furniture had been granted to the. extent of £lO whilst £2O had been granted on a loan account on the recommendation of the Eltham Committee. A grant of £lO was made to the Hawera Committee, and the matter of payment of £2 10s per week to applicant was left to the discretion of the committea