HELPING THE SOLDIER

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 201, 20 May 1919, Page 9

HELPING THE SOLDIER

NO OVERLAPPING NOW,

Willi the work of attending to the well-being of soldiers and their depend 1 ants now divided amongst sevoral bodies, moru expedition is manifest in dealing with cases, but the work has not been lessened. Indeed,"it lias iiicrcaaed enormously during tho last six months, consequent upon the return of so many men from the front who desire assistance of soino'kind to launch them into civilian life once more. The work of each body concerned with the returned soldier is so clearly defined that there is little or no overlapping. J'or example, tho BepAtriation Board hero (and • elsewhere) attends to soldiers who require advances to set them up in business; or money with which to furnish homes for themselves. or to purchase tools in connection with their trado; or even to subsidiso their wages whilst learning a trade. The Lands Department attends to the soldier who desires to go upon the land, aud, in Wellington,'the Wellington War Belief Association,' the organisation which has done such splendid work for soldiers and their dependants since 1915, continues to administer needed relief. Mr. A. 0. Lctich (the secretary of tho association) states that' in order that there shall be no risk of overlapping the Repatriation _ Board and the association exchange lists of cases dealt with at each meeting, and there is perfect liberty of action established in the overhauling of each other's files. That understanding was very necessary and desirable, and the system was working -very., smoothly. Asked if the establishment of the Repatriation Board had lessened the demands made upon tho association, Mr. Leach stated that during the last six months tho number of caises dealt with' had increased by 100 per cent, and the tendency was still in the direction of a further increase. The association's present work entailed tho consideration of about a hundred cases a week, and two meetings of the committee had now to be held each wwk instead of one.

Mr. Leach further 6aid that though the. utmost dispatch was observed in getting the returned mei\ back to thoir own districts as soon as possible after the transports arrived, the number of applications for relief' by soldiers not 'belonging to Wellington showed no signs of decreasing. Tho fact that Wellington was the geographical and military centre seomed to act as a magnet, .and, as tho result, the local association had to shoulder a groat ,doal of work (ill tho way of correspondence) that should rightly be attended to by outside associations. Still, it was recognised, that this work had to be done in (lie interest of the well-being of tho soldiers, and there was "no kick"' coming from tho association.

Mr. Loach acknowledges the receipt of two handsome donations 'to the funds 'if tho association —i.'lSltO from the local branch of the Red Cross Society, and a 'bequest of £1000 from tho lato Lieutenant Crouch.