PATRIOTIC FUND.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17119, 14 April 1921, Page 2

PATRIOTIC FUND.

EXECUTIVE MEETING. The Executive Committee of the Canterbury Patriotic Fund met yesterday ufternoon, Mr H. Holland presiding. The South Canterbury Patriotic Society wrote agreeing' to contribute £IOOO to the Disabled Soldiers' Home. An offer from the Belfast, Styx, and Ouruhia Trencli Comforts Fund to take over the balance of its funds, amounting to £6l 3s od, was accepted. The lion, treasurer reported that investments and cash, less overdraft of £4216 Is Id, now amounted to £44,043 16s 2d. The total receipts since thefund was inaugurated were £229,969 Is 7d, and the expenditure, which included £159,252 Ss Cd, payments and loans to soldiers and dependants, amounted to £185,925 os sd. The Adequacy Committee, after considering the financial position of the fund, and the improbabiiitv of the mortgages held by tho fund being repaid, recommended that in view of the extension of the moratorium and its effects upon mortgages falling due this year, committees dealing with expenditure must confine all authorisations to temporary relief only and com-1 mitments already made. The report, was adopted. The Committee of Management of the Disabled Soldiers' Homo reported that since the last meeting necessary alterations, including plumbing, repapering, doorways, and the installation of electric lignt, have been carried out, and the Home was now almost in readiness for occupation. Progress payments had .been made, on the . authority of the architect and the chair- j man ot the Adequacy Committee, amounting to £274 Bs. The total amount expended on tho purfhaso of ; the Home and upkeep of garden, and progress payments, totalled £5138 7s lid. In response to letters forwarded to various societies in the Canterbury Military District, the South Canterbury Patriotic Society had agreed to contribute the suni of £IOOO towards tho purchase of the Home, which amount had been received. Nurse Brooks was appointed the matron of tho Institution, and was now superin- I tending the furnishing and necessary j alterations to be made. So soon as the j Home was ready for occupation, the j A.D.M'.S. proposes to immediately in-1 stal eight or ten cases to commence with. The report was adopted. The Applications Committee reported that the following number of cases have been dealt with from January 26th to April 6th, 1921:—Temporary grants 30 special cases 64, grants made on account of other societies 37, applications declined 116; total, 247. A grant of £5 5s was mado to the retiring caretaker of the City Council buildings, in which the meetings of the committee were held. The committee decided that when mortgages fell due" and were not repaid, the interest chargeable should bo raised to the current rate of 7 per cent. __