HOW SYDNEY MANAGES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2798, 16 June 1916, Page 3

HOW SYDNEY MANAGES

WITH PATRIOTIC FUNDS A SMOOTH WORKING SYSTEM HELP FOR SOLDIERS Though a Now Zealander, Mr. A. ,D Blytne, of the Napier firm of Blythe and Co., has probably had as much to; do with tho administration of Sydney's patriotic funds as uny other individual. When seen yesterday he was only too pleased to bo able to give any information as to what Sydney was doing in regard to the funds that had been established for the relief of returned soldiers, well and sick, the depondants of tho dead and wounded, etc. Mr. Blythe said that there were three funds, constituted in such a manner that each had its own particular work to do, yet each worked in with the other in perfect harmony, 'whilst the same happy relations existed between those working for the funds and their administration and the military authorities. The first of these funds was established by the Australia Day movement on July 30 of last year, when a sum of <£787,000 was raised in the Commonwealth- The movement was originally carried out in aid of Eed Cross funds,' but when it was seen to be reaching such vast proportions there were those who 6aid that they understood that the money was partly for wounded soldiers and sailors and their dependants. This led to a conference, and as the outcome of the conference 'it was decided that the sum of ,£170,000 out of the big total should be devoted to wounded soldiers and sailors and their dependants, which amount was supplemented by .£30,000 from the Government, and later by .£IO,OOO from the Allies' Day and Queen Carnival, which was organised initially- by Mr. John Hopkins, and after his departure for Now Zealand, by Mr. Blythe himself. This money constitutes the Lord Mayor's Fund for the relief of the wounded and their dependants. Then there is tho Bed Cross Fund, which keeps in touch with men's needs at and also provides the re-, turned wounded With anything they may require in the way of artificial limbs, or special medical attention. The third organisation is the Amelioration Committee, which endeavours to ameliorate the 'lot of returned soldiers by finding out what a , returned man is in need of and giving it to him. If he is found- to bo suffering from nerves and in - want of a rest, well, lie gets that rest; if he wants to return to work, the committee.'endeavours, to find work for him, work that will exactly suit' the mans conditio*. It may be that after,: a iew months' spell a man is able to resume work in his old billet, and their experience is-that a large proportion of the men are able to do so; then again a man may not be able to resume his old work, well, the committee finds out precisely what lie is capable of doing and accommodates him. . .i.

How Soldiers are Helped. „ f 'VVith- our system," said Mr. Blythe,. there is np overlapping. We may loso' a few pounds now and again through ■imposition; but the system adoptei makes it fairly difficult for a mau to take any undue advantage of. the funds. As soon as'a transport arrives at Freniantle en . route to Sydney each niiw from New South Wales is given a card setting out details about the .three organisations—Red Cross, Mayor's Fund, and Amelioration Committee, so that by the time they reach Sydney they.know exactly where and how to get assistance if they want .it. A proportion of the men go to the hospital .direct from tho steamer, and are therefore not able- to personally present. themselves at the. city offices. That is all provided for—we have a man permanently.. at the Randwick. Hospital, where all such cases are with, and he interviews all auoii cases, and sees that. they, are fixed up. I was at .the Eandwick Hospital doing that, work for four months ..myself,. t . , Allowances. '• "Wo keep our men-well;proviofed'for. 'The' Australian, soldier ordinarily • gets 355. a, week and kept whilst on gemot AVlieu he comes home, and pending 'his discharge," ho still gets that money, but, being back, be naturally lives at home, and. naturally his keep (wliioh hitherto devolved upon tho Government) becomes a charge upon tho, household—be' it 1 his. own. home" or that of iis parents. Then there are those who have "made ' allotments .to ..their; wives, mothers, sisters, or somebody else' 9 sister, and only draw a shilling or two a day for the'mselvos. They can stop tho allotments as soon as they come back, but that does not. improve matters so much in the case of a married man, so we have ' a definite policy. . Wo see-that every single"man has his. money made up to 'JS2- 10s;'• per , week, and every married man. to ,£3 ss.' per_ week,, until he is discharged. In addition to this the married man. gets ss.'; a week.' each - for two children, and 2s. Gd. a week each for any other children under 16 years ,of age.. Actually, tho married man who returns- home to live and is still in unifonn is worse off. than ho'was in the field,' for as soon as he returns his -separation allowance stops. The payments mentioned aro continued until either the man is discharged or goes back into camp. Even after that we are able to keep a man going, until we can get him' a billet or set him up in business in. some, way.' All this is done out of moneys supplied by what is known as the Repatriation Fund (Commonwealth), which stands, at about .£250,000. A Good System.

"As soon as a soldier applies for assistance from any of-those three funds ho is handed a card, on -which he. is asked to state his case', his record, condition pf life, company, etc., which ismade a statutory declaration, but before that is acted upon he'has.to submit it to a man we have in the. Military Record Office, who checks it against the man's official record. "Then the card is returned, and filed away as a record. Tho mail's case is attended to, and the other committees are advised as to what has been done for the man, in order to prevent aiiy possible overlapping., Tho system works so well that aay man can get. assistance within an. hour of application. We also Have a buffet attached to tho city office, where men can get a meal at any r -timo for no-, thing. New Zealanders Not Barred., "We are .prepared to help New. Zealand soldiers, and have done so. -There was a case not, so long ago where two discharged men who had come across in the Niagara from Auckland applied for assistance, and : were given it. iFrom November S last up till tho time I left Sydney the Amelioration Committee had spent about .£25,000, and was spending at the rat'o of JCISOO a week. Of the 4200 men 'who had returned, 3000 had found it necessary to apply for help from lis. All the work done was honorary, except that of the secretary (Mr. P. C. Gowers), who is a Government man, and another Civil Servant."