WAR RELIEF FUNDS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 132, 28 February 1920, Page 8

WAR RELIEF FUNDS

» _ 4 TOWARDS UNIFORMITY SUGGESTIONS OP VARIOUS SOCIETIES DRAFT OF A LOCAL SCHEME The Advisory Board of the N.Z. ■ Fode'rated Patriotic War Belief Societies lecently sent out a circular, requesting the, societies to make suggestions for a scheme" applicahle throughout the country to the "relief of disabled soldiers nnd sailors and their dependants. The Wellington • AVnr Belief. Association has not yet decided what recommendations it shall submit; but tho Disablement Committee has drafted a scheme which has to receive tho approval of tho Association's Executive before it can go forward to Hie Advisory Board as expressing the association's views. The draft Gchemo is given below. Merely for convenience it uas been worded as though it had already areceived tho executive's approval.

Need.for a Uniform Basis, "It is of. tho utmost importance that tho different socioties , administering funds .for the relief of partially or totallv disabled' soldiers and their dependants pl'nuld,. if possible, work on a uniform basis, as,' otherwise, administration bv different bodies in different ways will lead to discontent.

"The more experience one has in deal- - with this class' of case the more nno perceives tho impossibility of havine hard and fast rules, and tho more one sees the necessity of dealing with ; each case on its merits. At tho same time i*. ought to be possible to "agree on certain principles. "The Government pensions have been standardised, and the Government, in a rough-and-Teady way. makes -it'taii'. allowances to the soldier and his <'n pendants as a measure 1 ' of compensation for tho soldier's physical impairment a.>' 'tho result of war service, tn consider ing the principles on which the'different societies are to act, it' is necessary to bear in mind what assistance the Government is giving in each case.

Loss Attributable to War Service, "Itjs suggested that the diffcrflnt societies should not base any assistance to the,soldier solely on the ground of tho physical impairment of. the soldier, but should attempt to enable the die- , abled soldier to maintain himself and his dependants in a reasonable state of coru'i'ort, having regard to the loss he may bo < suffering as'the result of his war service. "If these principles aro adopted, it, will be seen that there may be eases jn which a man may have lost a limb.W otherwise suffered physical impairment and yet his earning power may not be impaired at all. That is to say in that . particular cose his physical impairment 'has not interfered With.'his earning power. In such n, case the State—quito Tightly—gives a pension for life, or for a lesser period, for the injuries ho has Buffered owing to the war. But we do not think in the class of case referred to, . the soldier or his dependants havs any claim on our funds, so long as tho-.foldier /or hia dependants aro fit nml. well and aro not suffering any lots of earning ' power through the war.

Set £40,000 Aside. . "It being almost impossible for this committee to estimate with any degreo of accuracy the claims that may be made upon it .within the next five years, but, it being the primary object of tho Wellington War Jielief Association to make due provision to assist permanently, partially, or totally disabled soldiors and their dependants, and also 6oldiers who may have been discharged, 'fit A,' but who may subsequently develop disability; the committee decided to sot apart the Aim of .£40,000 for this purpose, leaving a 'balance of £2G,m to be applied to the numerous claims for assistance that will be submitted by men discharged unfit, but neither classified as suffering permanent disability nor liable to periodical temporary loss of civil earnings, together with a very considerable demand for relief of necessitous cases. The committee does not desire to tnke precipitate .action in allocating any large portion of'its funds for any particular object, -but is of opinion that the 7ninimum amount necessary to cover the claims under the first section, i.e., of men who will be under disability for tho remainder of their'lives, is'^4o,ooo.

"Fund B, equalling ,£26,000, 'and constituting tlw balance ..of the financial resources of the association, may not be sufficient, but it is hoped that this fund, when near depletion, may be augmented by contributions from societies with similar objects to ours and possessing greater resources.'

i'" Manner of t Giving Relief. "Having decided tho principles on which the moneys are to bo administered, the next consideration is the manner in which the relief or assistance should be given. It must be admitted that for many years to come, many of our soldiers will have a just claim on our funds, and it will be found that the relief will be: (a) Of a temporary nature; or, (b) of a permanent nature. The nature of the temporary assistance will consist of relief incases of (1) breakdown in health «fter return to work; (2) sickness in the family; (3) any troubles of a. temporary nature where tho committee decide some help' should be given. The nature of tho permanent relief .will vary in each case. If may consist of. (1) assistance to purohase a house; (2) assistance to start in some business or occupation; (3) tho purchase of an' annuity f[l) or any other form of relief approved of by the committee.

"In deciding what form of assistance Bhould be given to any soldier, it is of the utmost importance that it should always, be remembered that the soldier when it is possible for him to follow any occupation, however temporary or nnremunerative, should be assisted to help himself. For his ' own -happiness and welfare, it is necessary for the 601-: <lier to make his own effort, and every committee 6hould be careful in givin'" assistance, that it is not relieving the soldier from. the necessity of making any effort to help himself.

The Men Affected, "It was decided that those to whom the scheme shall apply are: (a) Permanently, totally, or partially disabled soldiers and their dependants, at any time subsequent to their discharge; (b) provided that nothing in the foregoing clause shall prevent assistance being given tc soldiers discharged fit 'A' but who sub seqnently develop disablement traceable to their war servico; (c) the definition of the word sold-.ers shall embrace all those mentioned in tho association's rules—as set out in rulo 5, clause- (2), subsections •(H. \'i), (?\ «nd (4)." It is understood that the Disablement Committee yestorday 6ubinitte<l the above draft to Generals Chaytor and Richardson and that.both officers expressed approval of tho principles laid down.

SCHEMES FAVOURED IN OTHER PARTS

Quoted below are some of tho replies made to the Advisory Board by societies outside Wellington. Tho suggestions will be discussed at a meeting that tho board will hold on Thursday, March i. The secretary for tho Nelson Sick and • Wounded Soldiers' Fund writes:—"ln .reply to vour circular letter dated January 20. I am directed to advise you that niv society, whilst agreeing that uniform- ■ itv of action throughout the Dominion is most desirable, and very needful for the proper administration of patriotic funds in.the bestj interests .of the soldiers and their dependents, at the same time considers that such proposals as the ' Marlborough scheme for the distribution of the balance of funds a littlo premature, and not along tho right lines." ' Mangahua.' submits this remit:—"That jtl moneys raised throughout tho Dominion of New Zealand by the various patriotic associations for the aid of sick or •wounded soldiers, be consolidated in one

fund, and be vested in fivo trustees, three of whom shall bo appointed by the Advisory Board and two by tho Minister Of Defence, and tho income to ariso therefrom be devot"ed : 't(Swards tho upkeep and assistance of incapacitated returned -foldiers."

.The South Canterbury Association thinks that the-time has arrived when a

definite scheme should bo adopted by nil societies, or (failing that), when tho Advisory Board should submit a scheme as a. basis on which societies could act, leaving to the societies the right to treat suecial cases on their merits. South Canterbury thinks .that a sum of .£400,000 should ba sot aside for n Dominion scheme.

The Wanganui-Waitotara Association has framed the following remit:—"That with the primary idea of providing for the permanently disabled, a Dominion scheme of assistance be inaugurated out of Dominion funds'. That tho first charge on such funds be tho provision of a. fair income to totally incapacitated men bv supplementing their pensions to provide 'single men with, say, X2OO a venr. and those who wish to marry, or are already married, with, say, ;C3OO a year. That every encouragement be given to the partially disabled to enable I hem to .become self-supporting, but where necessary their pensions 1>» supplemented also. That to enable returned soldiers to improve their positions, a large percentage of funds be invested on, loan to fit men of energy and capacity. '' That to provide elasticity, nil applications be treated on their merits."

HOW TARANAKI HELPS THE DISABLED

The Tnrauaki Provincial War Relief Association hns inaugurated a scheme for tho assistance of permanently disabled soldiers, the maximum grant for 100 per cent, total permanent disability being ,£-&50. At present no applicants are entitled to receive any benefits under the above scheme unless their disability is permanent to the extent of at i least 10 per cent. Some of the. regulations governing the scheme are given below in the form in which the Taranaki association has stated them for the information of the Advisory Board. An applicant must have resided in the Tarnnaki provincial district for a period of at least three months prior to enlistins. and his disability must be tho direct result of service in the great European war. In the event of an applicant being in receipt of an income of .;KOO per annum or over, or possessed of .wets (less liabilities) to the value of ■£5000' or over, he shall not bo entitled to receive assistance under the above scheme. The adopted basis of distribution for visual eases is the third schedule of the War Pensions Amendment Act, 1917. '10 per cent, to 100 per cent, inclusive, subject to the note at the foot of the schedule. Cases other than visual shall be subject to medical examination. Applicants for assistance whose disability is not visual or whoso disability is only partially visual shall he subject to medical examination by a board of two doctors: at the examination both doctors shall bo present at the same time. The doctors shall agree as to the percentage of permanent disability, and, if they consider it necessary, may matt a special recommendation, e.g., indication that further treatment is required. In arriving at the percentage of permanent disability in eases requiring medical examination, the examining doctors shall be requested to consider the basis of disability in visual case's, so that * nonvisiml" applicants shall receive as far as possible an equality of 'treatment as compared with the visual cases. The cost of medical examination shall be borne bv the association, and in certain cases the association may pay travelling expenses of applicants to enable them to appear before tho examining doctors at any given place. The exnniinins doctors shall be nominated by the local branches, and duly appointed by the executive committee.; Applicants residing outside of the Taranakidistrict whose domicile prior to enlisting was Taranaki, shall be examined by a board of two doctors appointed by the association of the district wherein applicant at present resides. ... In all cases requiring medical examination the grant shall be made in' accordance with the percentage of permanent disability as stated by the examining doctors, subject to such percentage being 40 per «ent.. or in excess. The local branches or the outside association (where an applicant is examined outside of the Taranaki provincial district) shall recommend that the grant be payable by wav of periodical payments or in a lump sum.