PATRIOTIC FUND.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18405, 11 June 1925, Page 5

PATRIOTIC FUND.

ANNUAL MEETING. X The tenth annual meeting of the Canterbury Patriot! 3 Fund was held yesterday, Mr H. Holland presiding. . The annual reports and accounts, already published, -were presented. In moving the adoption, of the report and balance sheet, the chairman said that in 1914 the then executive were sanguine that £25,C00 would be raised for the fund. There was no idea then that the war would last so long, nor that so magnificent a response would be made to the appeal. The fund altogether ihad received a sum of nearly £300,000, and there was still £44.000 in hand. The fund was under a great obligation to the ladies for the interest they had taken in the men at Rannerdale and the efforts they had made to brighten the lives of the permanently disabled men. Of the total advances made to returned soldiers about a third had been repaid, which was most satisfactory considering the difficulties the men had to encounter, due largely to lack of experience and the high values operating when they purchased' their properties. Since /{nnnerdale had come un-j der the control of the fund from the Defence Department- the maintenance cost per patient had been reduced l>y 24s weekly, and that without introducing any cheese-paring policy. Professor H. Stewart, on behalf of the Returned Soldiers' Association expressed thanks for the splendid efforts put forward by the executive. He trusted that the matter of a more liberal ex fenditure of the funds for the benefit of returned soldiers—not necessarily those in receipt of pensions—would -receive consideration, for there were eases where special grants could properly be made to men suffering from illness or incapacity who were not in receipt of a pension. The liberality he had in, mind should be governed. by what was judicious in the circumstances.

> The motion for the adoption, of the report and accounts was adopted, and thwiks were recorded to -the various committees for their work during the year. , ' Mr H. Holland was re-elected chairman, and MrC- J- R. Williams deputy chairman. v Other officers elected were: Hon. treasurer, Mr H. H. Smith; hon. solicitor, Mr J. J. Dougall; hon. medical adviser, Dr. Fox ; representative on Advisory Board, Mr J. J. Dougall; auditor, Mr H. Bicknell. The following . committees ■ were elected:—

Executive: Messrs H. ' Holland (chairman), C. J. R. "Williams, P. W. Hobbs, J. J. Dougall, H. R. Smith,' G. Harper, E. R. Webb, R. H. Mitchell, Colonel ~R. Young, Messrs F. M. Warren, W. W. Charters, R. Malcolm, W. H. Clark, J. S. Priest, T. Stone, J. C'. Prudhoe, W. E. Leadley, T. W. Reese, W. A. Smith, A. F. Wright, C. W. Hervey, Professor H. Stewart, Messrs S. A. Staples, F. Horrell, Hugh Ensor, J. Cunningham, W. A. Carpenter, J. P. Buchanan, H. A. Knight, W. T. Popple, G. Rutherford, •J. H. Blackwell, E. J. Hitbbard, G. D. Greenwood, C. I. Jennings, T. E. PeaTson, D. Hawke, J. O. Coop, T. Stevenson, M. Bethell, A, C. Maxwell, J. S.Neville, R.- T. TosWill, and H. J. Knight. • Finance Committee —Messrs C. J. R. Williams (chairman), H. Holland, J. J. Dougall, F. W. Hobbs, J. C. Prudhoe, E. R. Webb, H. R. Smith, F. M. Warren, •A. C. Maxwell, H. A. Knight, W. A. Smith, T. W. Reese, J. F. Buchanan, Colonei H. Stewart, Messrs C. W. Hervey, and R. T. Tosswill. Applications Committee—Messrs J. H:Blackwell, Ji J. Dougall, P. Horrell, F. W. Hobbs, H. Holland, W. E. Leadley, A. C. Maxwell, J. S. Priest, J. C. Prudhoe, H. R. Smith, T. Stone, C. J.. : R. Williams, F. M. Warren,,E. R. Webb, A. F. Wright, R r T. Tosswill, W. W. Charters, G. Rutherford, T. W. Reese, C. I. Jennings, and H. J. Knight. Rannerdale Home .Committee —Messrs A. C. Maxwell, E. R. Webb, J. C. Prudhoe, and F., Hobbs. Professor H. Stewart moved: "That the, executive be empowered to continue its policy of granting assistance to persons not iu receipt of pensions in special case of need, where the necessity for relief does not arise solely from unemployment.". The motion was seconded by Mr C. J. R. Williams, who said he saw no danger to the fund by the adoption of the policy proposed. / , Mr W. E. Leadley said there was no new proposal involved, for the policy mentioned. had been in operation for the pastj twelve months. The motion wa,s carried..

. Thanks \verc accorded the ladies who assisted with Eannerdale Some, and tho secretary, Mr E. T. Tosswill. A meeting of tho executive followed. A .letter was received from Messrs Wynn Williams, Brpwn, and Gresson, advising'that tho fund would receive a legacy of £.500 from the estate of the late Mary Joyce. Mr W. E. Leadley said , that tho E.S.A. wouid also receive a legacy of £SOO for the Benevolent Fund, and that money would be of great-value in relieving distress. It was gratifying to find that the work of the Patriotic Fund and the E.S.A, was jso appreciated.