WAR RELIEF

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2727, 23 March 1916, Page 5

WAR RELIEF

£1000 VOTED FOR Y.M.C.A. WORK ■)'" ■ SOMERS' WIVES SCHEME TO MINIMISE NEGLECT • .The executive of the War Relief Association of Wellington met yesterday. Mr.W. Ferguson presided. - The following report from the Relief Committee was adopted:— i "The conuniLtec dealt with 39 applications on March S and 39 on March 16. "Mrs. J. B. MacEwan has kindly consented to assist the association as honorary inspector. "Tlie Australia Day Fund, Sydney, signified its intention to notify this association of New Zealand cases dealt with in Sydney. ''The secretary was instructed to make full inquiries regarding suitable coftages and room 6 for' applicants; many of whom are inadequately accommodated at present, 'and cannot obtain letter quarters. : "The-secretary was also instructed to obtain from the "Defence Department, if possTolo. a list of the married men who have enlisted." Request for Over £2000. The Salvation Army wrote, asking Essistance for work it was doing in harmony with the association. The appeal was in respect of the children of deceased soldiers, and regarding the Salvation Army. Soldiers' Institute at Rotorua. I'br'the first object £10,000 is sought, and the association was asked for £2000. For the second object- the association was asked to grant £250 yearly. ..-_ , The application was referred to a subcommittee, which is to make inquiries into the matter. Carnival ■ Promises. . A committee was set up to interview firms which, had made promises at the time of the Queen Carnival and to ask them to fulfil those promises. List of Married soldiers. Mr. D. M'Laren moved: —"That steps be taken to secure a complete list of the married men who have enlisted for the front from the city and surrounding districts, and to keep such list up to date. That on the securing of this list a ladies' visiting committee be appointed, the combined district divided into wards, and every family of such soldiers be periodically visited; their circumstances tactfully inquired into, and reports presented to the executive of all cases requiring assistance either in means or otherwise, the object being to ensure that in no case shall the soldiers' dependants be inadvertently overlooked." ';,...

It was mentioned that inquiries made of the Defence Department had indicated that the compilation of a register-of married soldiers would entail considerable work. Members thought the undertaking should not be prolonged, and a sub-committee, was instructed to go further into the question, and if necessary'-pay. some competent person to make the compilation. £1000 For Y.M.C.A. work. One of the sub-committees recommended (respecting an application from the Y.M.C.A.) :that £1000 should ' be voted to;the Y.M.C.A. to be ear-mark-ed for work in accord with the association s rules. 1 v ¥?'n i' Hutcheso n said that the ■I.AU..A; was not a kind of institution .lybich would handle money profitably « woiild.-spend £2 to get £1 of value.' It hadneither the co-ordination nor the organisation adequate to the. things it was proposing to undertake. He could .give-details of his experience with them to show that their administration was wasteful and inefficient. They meant well, he admired the movement, and v he said nothing against the institution .flj such, but the handling of-large sums of money was not their function. If the money asked for was voted, he trusted that the conditions would be clearly prescribed. Mr. J. Lewis expressed surprise at Mr. _Hutcheson's observations. He thought the -Y.M.C.A. lhad done -very good work. .-.-*•, - Mr. L. 0. H. Tripp-said that as far as be knew the Y.M.C.A. was the only body which had got into the firing line mid that they had done very fine work for the Anzacs. The executive decided -to grant £1000 subject to the restriction that it must be used for wounded and necessitous jsoidiers. » : ,- Other Matters. \}. It was reported that Mr. Martin Uiapman and Mr. Clement Watson had consented to attend at the office for two hours on alternate mornings and on special occasions. when, required to interview applicants fWJ*' - ? L , H> Woodbury, Canterbury,, to bo remitted to the High Commissioner for the New Zealand War Contingent Association