C.D.C.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXX, Issue 11123, 5 February 1930, Page 3

C.D.C.

ANNUAL XlLI’OliT

The annual report of the Citizens Detente presented at the meeting ou a-omui., is as loiiow : jN'lo manges in tire personnel of the Coninnuee liave uinen place during tlie year. J'/M Claims Board comprising air, H. Pi. <ie Costu, Air. D. \t . Coleman (Mayor of Gisborne; and ‘l.Jeul. Colonel it. 1’ ■ Gam brill have met regularly each Tuesday and at other times when urgent cases requiring immediate attention have arisen. The trustees, Alossrs. \\ - (J. Sberratt, Pi. lvenwav and Lieut. Colonel Gatilhriill have met and transacted the business ot the committee as required. No special general meetings yf the committee have been held. Tlie policy of tub committee relative to expenditure of funds for relief purposes as adopted on June 22, 11)27 has been strictly adhered to.’ Briefly, this policy limits the expenditure of the Claims Board to PI coy p or annum for benefit of sick j and wounded soldiers and their dependants only and prohibits the use | of Clio funds for the relief ol mi- j employment. As in the past this policy coil'd not have been adhered to without the- aid of the Gisborne [Returned Soldiers’ Association, which, as in previous years, undertook to attend to the relief ol tmenip oyment among returned soldiers." The sum of £IOO2 wias expended through the Gisborne Bor. ! O'ligli Council and other sources tor j the relief of unemployment among j returned soldiers. lies sum Mas in j elusive lof Government subsidies an 1 | the bulk of the money other than j subsidies was provided b\ the L.S. , A. The relief afforded to this Com- j uiittee's .Funds as a. result of tins j call's for the. heartiest support of the bmmittee in the Annual Boppy Day appeal of the .11.5. A. The capital of the fund now stands at £M j - ■7s 3d, a decrease from last year jf £b£i 2s 3d. Thy, sum of £12:13 J7s was expended through the Claims Board. <> this amount £IOO represents an amount received from the National • Aar Funds Council for disburse- j merit towards the relief of unern- j oloymont and does not therefore af- : ►Wti our Funds and £203 lbs Id was j disburse.l for other re. j funds being duly obtained. | ! :1 ~ j amount actliallv spent on relief -iimi for whom this ( nmmi'ttee is re_ , nonsible is £l'2i Id which amount . : s well below (he llllUt of £l2T* ah I ,iwe l l to the Claims Board a n d £■ t

e s l-i in excess of tin* amomil spent | in 1028. This noliev must be cnU- ! tinned if the life of the fund is to : i,o T ,n)'<>tered for a nevio 1 commen- : sura to with tlie need »f the fund, i

Tlie Claims Board again reports . an increase in the iiumber of appii- ■ cants seeking relief who sutler from tiui effects of war service though; or- j lginally discharged as fit. ibis state Jf affairs is certain to become more j aggravated as the years pass. .Man., . men voting in years have become j prematurely aged as a. result of wni service ami though willing and able > to work are tmat»Ur to comjtcte on | equal terms in times when uneni- ] ployment is rife with the younger men who are also seeking employ- ; meat. This matter wdi require the , serious consideration and attention of tltose who are charged with the duty of seeing that our veterans are not prejudiced by the years given , them in the service of their conn- j try. The thanks of the Committee are conveyed to the various Pat- t iotic Societies i:i other centres and to the National War Funds Com. m'tteo for the courteous and prompt ; attention given to our responsibilit. tes outsi'de Gisborne. The Committee again desires to place on record its sincere appreeia. : turn of the services ot Mrs. A. Bee? as secretary and Honorary Lady t b‘tor during the past year. ’I lie

thanks of the Committee are due to i lie honorary auditor--. Messrs AirCullough, Butler and Spence who, in addition to the work involved by the audit-, bate also reconstructed the system of accounting and ononed up new books accordingly—all ot whic-h has been done gratuitously. As a. direct result administration expenses for the coming year will be reduced by £26 As.

CLAIMS BOA HD

The reports of the Claims Board was as follow:-

The Board lias met weekly through the year, and in addition mis dealt with special cases requiring immediate attention when too same have arisen, 'the personnel of the Board has remained constant throughout the year. The policy as outlined by the Board in its report on. last year’s operations has again been strictly adhered to. The total expenditure of the Board for tap year amounts to LI -do 17s. Of this amount £1(0. representing a spec, ial grant from the National \\ar runds Council, lias been disburseu for the ve.ief of unemployment. The amount of £206 16s Id was expended on account of other Societies and lias been duly refunded to this Committee-. Deducting these, two items of special expenditure, the net amount paid by the Board lor the relief of men being responsibilities ol tliis Committee is £927 lid, made up by supplementary pensions grants £124 and by .grants to soldiers and dependants, £BO3 lid. It- will tic seen that this amount is well within the limit of expenditure allowed to this Board under 'the po icy adopted by the Committee on the 22nd June 1927.

It is again noted with satisfaction that 11io proportion of unreasonable applications tor aid is rapidly decreasing this being due to the tact that, the Board’s policy is now v.el! known and only .m a rare, instance does a inan apply whose case is not a genuine one. The Board regrets that two of its responsibilities have been admitted to mental hospitals during the year, and in eaJi case as a direct result cf war service. It is also noticed that: the pern ullage of prematurely aged men apply.ng for relief is increasing. The coming years wi.l bring a consider.ibtc increase in the numbers of these men who, as a result ot war set vice, now have impaired vitality and are uno.o to compete in the labour market- with young lit men. As no provision is made for pensions lor these men the Board anticipates J .uat these men will ho a- heavy drain upon He Committee’s funds accordingly—particularly in [View of the fact that they cannot qualify for the old age pension until they reach the age of sixty live years.

In addition to grants of cicii, relief jn. kind has been afforded by the issue of bedding, clothing, firing, groceries and vegetables donated to 'the Committee by sympathisers during the year. Apart Lorn the £I.OO donated by the National War Funds Council no relief was granted in cases of distress due to unemployment alone. Had .it not been for the assistance afforded by the Gisborne Returned Soldiers’ Association in the relief of unemnlowneni it would have been impassible.to decline all -applications- for relief due to this 'cause, and our fund would certainly have suffered depletion accordingly. The Committee is earn, est’v recommended' .in view of the situation .now apparent to assist, tb*> itetiirnbd.Fioldiers’ Association in it** an mini appeal ; for funds -on Poppy