WAR RELIEF

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2667, 12 January 1916, Page 7

WAR RELIEF

. ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS / NEED OF CO-OPERATIVE EFFORT THE PROPOSED CONFERENCE . ' r A' meeting of tho executive of the iWar Relief Association of Wellington .was held yesterday afternoon at the ioffice of the association in the South British Chambers. Mr. Wm. Ferguson presided, and there were also present the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) and Messrs. H. G. Hill, L. 0. H. Tripp, J. Lewis, S. Kir&caldio, J. Hutcheson, E. J. Colley, C. A. Ewen, Alex. Macintosh, G. Shirttliffe, and the seoretary (Mr., S. J. AVills). , A Conference Approved. !A' letter was read from the Auckland Patriotic Relief Association expressing the opinion that a conference should bo held representative of the chief centres, in order that uniformity of _ practice might be arranged in connection vj'ith •the scale of relief. • Tho chairman remarked that if they adopted) a national scheme tbase difficulties would not arise. Mr. Hill pointed out that hitherto 'Auckland had shown a strong desire to iwork by themselves. The chairman said that when Mr. Craig was present as representative of 'Auckland at the conference in Wellington he announced publicly that Auckland intended to act separately from ■the other centres. A circular letter, the chairman added, liad been received from tho Hon, G. W. ißussell, Minister of Internal Affairs, .with reference to a proposed conference of patriotic committees, to ho held on the first Wednesday in February, to arrange definite lines of organisation and administration. The letter had already been published in "the newspapers. Mr. Hutcheson said it was highly desirable that the efforts of these committees should be co-ordinated, so as to .prevent overlapping and certain abuses which might creep in under the .present system of administration. Mr. Hill: Has the Minister power to 'enforco any regulations adopted at a conference of societies? The chairman: I do not think so. Hi". Hill questioned whether they would be any further' ahead after the conference, which was purely a voluntary affair. There were societies which might not agree to the conditions which the' Minister and the Wellington Society might say were desirable. The chairman said the Minister could lay it down that when they formed a society-the rules must be submitted to and approved by him, and that no funds could be collected or administered unless by an incorporated society. Mt. Hill said he was in favour of a conference being held, but when other centres would not agree to any scheme of uniformity what were they to do? Mr. Hutcheson said they would be converted to the advantages of some reciprocal scheme aiiter they had been imposed upon two or three times. Mr. Hill said that 'Auckland was be- • ginning to look with favour on 6ome general arrangement, judging by the letter which had just been read. The chairinan said that apart from any proposal to pool the funds, the conference might hit upon some scheme under which information might be oxchanged between the different centres. Mr. Hutcheson said they would be .working blindly, and. they would certainly' be : "taken' down";. unless there was some such arrangement. The chairman said the amount d'shoneslly obtained would probably bo comiiaraiavely small, although' it was'irritating to have it happen at all. , It was pointed (jut that it was not -what a man seeking assistance stated, but what he omitted to state which was misleading. He might tell a plausible story ' The chairman: Which would be perfectly trne so far as it went. It was agreed to reply to the Minister approving of the,proposal to told a conference.

The Rotorua Convafesoent Home. ■With reference to the new Convalescent Home for Soldiers at Rotorua, a letter was read from the Hon. 6. W-. Russell, Minister of Public Health, suggesting that there could be no more •worthy object for the expenditure of portion of the large sums collected by patriotic committees than, the .equipment of a sanatorium, specially erected for the_ soldiers. The chairman said the idea of the Government apparent'}' was that they had simply to provide the absolute minimum. They had effected a large building, and now they -wanted the Patriotic Committees to help to furnish it. Why should not beds, bedding, and other _ necessaries to restore the men to health ibe found by the Government as well, as the building? The Mayor did not think the Government" had any claims on the .funds of the association to subsidise the convalescent home at Rotorua. He considered they had more pressing claims ahead of them. The ladies of New Zealand' had most zealously assisted the

Government in connection with tho work of hospital equipment. Tho ladies of Wellington had complotcly equipped the hospital at Trentham. Ho did not believe they would bo justified in using tho funds raised for tho sick and wounded in the manner suggested by tho Minister. ill - . Shirtcliffe said tho War Relief Association would! have all it could do to deal with the claims for tho direct re- • lief of 6ick and wounded soldiers and their dependents. It was proposed that no soldier should receive help until ho had been discharged ; that was, that no help should be given so far as the soldier himself was concerned. Tho chairman: I agree with that in principle, but it has not been found practicable. Mr. Hill said lie had found tho feeling in Christchurch was that the Government were trying to saddle on to tho War Relief Associations or Patriotic Societies a great amount of the work tho Government should undertake themselves. ' It was decided to reply stating that tho association were unable to contribute towards the purpose mentioned! in the Minister's letter. Premiums on . Life Policies. Mr. Hutcheson said practical help could often be given to men who wero ready to voliuiteer, by guaranteeing the payment of tho premiums on their insuranco policies. Could not_ some organised elfort be made to assist in this way men who were willing to enlist but had dependents to provide for? Tho chairman said they must be care-, ful to prevent the idea getting about that the association, were willing to insure tho lives of every man who went to the front. Mr. Shirtcliffe: Why should not the Government take up~soffie such scheme i Ihe chairman: They will _ say they havo already done so in their Pension Act.

A resolution was carried favouring the suggestion that assistance should be given in the payment of insurance premiums to men who could not otherwise enlist, but expressing regret that the funds of the would not permit of such help siven! Mr. Hutcheson: It is a desirable work which should be discharged by a special body. , The chairman:: It is outsias our funio.tious.

Mr. Hill-: We could say wo would support the Patriotic Society in its endeavours in tliis respect) and would do so individually. Administrative Details. The Mayor mentioned She case of men physically unlit ivho Had been discharged through iio fault of their own. Did the association racoKnise such cases.?_ The chairman said they came within the scope of the association's relief work. Tho chairman thought it would be advisable to have a small sub-committee to consider applications for relief which came in every day and had to be dealt with forthwith. Tire chairman; the Mayor, and the_secretary, were appointed a sub-committee to consider ana deal with all emergency cases. / The chairman said they should decide what information they should give to other societies to enable the funds, tobe efficiently administered. He thought that when a man whom tAiey had assisted went away, to Hamilton, for instance, they should communicate with Hamilton telling them that the individual in question hs.d been helped by them to go to Hamilton—not giving the amount of the assistance. Mr. Hutcheson said some simpler method of "clearance ticket" might be devised in order that a man might pass on. The chairman!., said tho.. ChristchuTch people had sent to the Wellington Patriotic Committee s list which contained the'names of those assisted, the amounts, and full particulars. It was not charity they were administering, and he thought it a mistake to circu-' late such details. Mr. Hill said, in Christchurch a man. had been found to have drawn on five separate funds throughout the Dominion within three months. This brought them back to the necessity of introducing a national scheme. The Chairman: This is a monthly list, but what we would require would be a daily list For instance, if we assisted, a man to Auckland, he would come under the care of the Auckland Committee, ivho/ would have to be advised at once. Mr. Hill: The conference the Hon. G. W. Russell proposes to call will liav,9 to deal with the question.