ARDUOUS YEARS AHEAD

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 285, 26 August 1921, Page 6

ARDUOUS YEARS AHEAD

WELLINGTON WAR RELIEF ASSOCIATION REPORTS OF COMMITTEES "Summarising ths work of your committee, it can truthfully be said that at no time since its inception has it been busier than it now is; whilst there is abundant evidence that tho next few years to come will bo just as arduous." Tho foregoing paragraph occurred in tho report of the Applications Committee of tho War Relief Association of Wellington, received at yesterday’s meeting of that body. Mr. A. Macintosh was in the chair, and,,there wore also present: Messrs. W. Ferguson, R. J. y. Aldrich, and C. Watson. Applications Committee. Applications Committee reported that the total number of claims received during the period July 27 to August 22, 1921, was 316, comprising 41 new applica-tio-ns and 275 renewals and reconsiderations. Twenty-seven of the now applications were the association’s responsibility, and included 22 claims by ex-mem-bers of the N.Z.E.F., four by men who served with the Imperial Army and'Oiie by an ex-member of the Australian force. The remaining 14 were the responsibility qf other societies, to whom, after investigation,) they had been forwarded. There were 180 cases still under action; of these 107 were the association’s responsibility, and included six Imperial and one Australian case. The remaining 73 were the responsibility of other kindred bodies, All cases etill under action would be disposed of within a week.

The committee reported that no change had occurred in respect to the diversity of the nature of the claims submitted to it, which included grants of tools of trade to carpenters, cabinetmakers, bootmakers, plumbers, etc. (These . were awarded because hardship would have been inflicted upon those concerned in respect to repayment of a loan for acquisition of the tools required, had such been advanced by the Repatriation Department). Other grants were mads in connection with maternity expenses, payment of tradesmen’s accounts, of cost of boqrd and lodging, for living expenses pending receipt of war pensions, and in other directions too varied to be enumerated. ' There was a small reduction in the number of applications being received as compared with the number lodged a ycar*ago, but the actual work now involved in dealing with claims was much greater, partly because the lapse of time since tip armistice renders it more difficult to establish the actual degree of physical impairment or financial hardship, and because the cases were of a'more, compl/x nature than they used to be.

Owing to the association’s geographical position, the services rendered by tho committee to other societies again showed a heavy increase, particularly to tho similar societies in the Wellington provincial district. Many ex-members of the N.Z.E.F. having left the Dominion applied from all parts of the world for indirect assistance.; other men—perhaps being unaware of the assistance of thesmall local society in their district—applied sometimes under the impression that Wellington was the headquarters of war relief associations; and yet other bodies in Australia and elsewhere sought assistance in respect to applications lodged with them by letter from New Zealand. It would therefore be easily perceived that the volume of resulting correspondence was much greater than that arising out of claims for direct assistance, and for which tho association was responsible. For instance, the present inward and outward mail was 1200 per cent, greater than it was in 1916. Finance Committee. The Finance Committee reported that it had dealt with seven applications for assistance exceeding .£5O. Of these claims, four were for assistance (total £477) to acquire residential property; one-was in regard to temporary suspension of repayment of the association's loan of £lOO to enable a disabled soldier to purchase his own residence; one was for the committee to authorise'disposal of a 1 motor-car, part cost of which was advanced by the association as a loan to a disabled soldier to assist him to extend the electrical engineering business wherein he had established himself, and in which vehture he subsequently failed; and tho other was for a claim for a loan of £250 in respect to the applicant’s farming operations. Two of the four applications for assistance to purchase houses were granted, loans totalling £250 being approved, because both the applicants were suffering physical impairment, and, in addition, there was economic loss present in one case, and in the other unusual domestic circumstances. The other two (£227) were declined, as there was no war disability whatever. Temporary suspension of repayment of the Joan was approved; authority for disposal of the motor-car—at little, if any, loss —was given; and the application last referred to above was declined for several reasons, amongst which’ was the fact that committee considered that In awarding a loan they would very probably have succeeded only in placing tho applicant in further difficulties. There were several applications not yet considered. Financial Statement.

The financial sttaement disclosed that expenditure during .July amounted to .£1097 11s. 2d., and the income to A3Bb 12s. 4d. Credit balances at the bank as at July 31 totalled .£2975 18s. 11<1- In ' vestments as at July 31 „„ c ’ n o "W n^<> ’• A Public Trustee, .£29.000; fun<l B, binks X 14.000. P.O.S B J 1757 Us. 7d ; fund C, Wellington City Counci £2.,30 9s 3d.; fctal, .£46,093 3s. lOd. The total of available funds at the end of July was .£49,089 2s. 9d.