WAR RELIEF.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 July 1920, Page 3

WAR RELIEF.

NECESSITY FOR CONTINUANCE

"It was thought that with the conclusion of hostilities, the return of the members of the various New Zealand Reinforcements to the Dominion and their re-entry into the civil walks of life, the ramifications of the War Keiief Association, to which was entrusted the disbursement of the funds contributed j by yutizons towards the relief and rehabilitation of the men who had gone forth to upheld the traditions of the British Empire, would have ended. Such, however, is far from tiie real position, and it may he said that there is 'much work yet to be rucomplished, the fulfilment of which is not yet in sight. Some of the societies in New , Zealand have been contemplating the distribution of the remaining funds among the returned soldiers in their respective districts, ‘but the fallacy of such a proccedng was pointed out at a recent conference. The majority of tile men, it is said, appear to be against the proposal. Some say that once they receive it the probability is that they would be induced to enter into speculations which might result in failure, and should they require assistance at some future date there would be no fund to draw upon.

GOOD WORK. “As an instance of the work that is be_ ing accomplished by the"'Wellington War Relief Association, it is only necessary to state that during the past six months no less than 16,000 letters were sent out by the correspondence branch, without taking into consideration the large number of circulars and applications dealt with. All the various war branches are concentrated in Wellington,, and as a result the local association has more appeals made to it than any other in New Zealand. Again, many men who desire relief come to Wellington from other districts simply because Defence Headquarters is situated here. As a consequence, the local association is call, ed upon to give relief and to collect the amount disbursed from the district to which the applicant belongs. This entails a considerable amount of correspondence, as the most searching inquiry is made into each application that is received.” BREAKDOWN IN HEALTH. The foregoing statement was made by a prominent member of the War Relief Association, who also pointed out that years after a soldier.had returned, his health might break down on account of his war service, and it was advisable, in the interests of that man and his family, that there should be a fund from which he could be granted relief. A case in point which had just been brought to notice was quoted. A SAD CASE. It was of a man who had gone away with the. Main Body, as a gunner, and after serving in Egypt and Gallipoli returned to the Dominion in April, 1910, and was discharged from the Forces thefollowing month. The soldier procured work in the country and married. The association first heard of him officially in January 1917, when an application was made for assistance for liis wife, who was to become an inmate of a hospital. The man, who is now the father of three children, recently became ill, and a doctor certified that his skull—the soldier as wounded in the head on Gallipoli—was pressing on his 'brain. He was sent to Wellngton, examined by the Defence medical authorities, and ordered into hospital at once in order to undergo an operation. The War Relief Association gave the man assistance, and instructions how to deal with his pension in, order that his wife might receive the major portion, while the district from which the man came was asked to instruct the wife to apply for a pension and to assist her and her family in the meantime. The man in question enlisted at Wellington, and all disbursements on his family’s behalf will he refunded by the local association. AN UNUSUAL CASE.

Another ease, which is being dealt with by the society, and one which was jiicked out as being quite different to the usual run, was that of a man with seven children, the eldest if whom i--14 years of age. He went- away with the sth. Reinforcements and returned to the Dominion in October, 1918, after serving for 2$ years. His wife left the home her husband had provided for her and boarded out the. children witli persons. She then took a. position, an ! at that time was in the receipt of £5 17s 3d. per week. In January, 1913. when the allowances wore increased, the woman received ill all £7 14s per week, of which sum she had £1 I s nor week not income after paying for the children’s board and other expenses. O i the husband’s return he was an out patient at the hospital for six months and received a. temporary allowance from the association pending his application from a pension. Subsequently lie took divorce proceedings again«t bis wife, and was successful. As a consequence both he and his wife lost the retrospective allowance, which amounted to £349 4s 9d. In order that the children might' not suffer, tho Repatriation Board paid the money ov-i" to the association, who made it up t > £350, and divided it up into seven shares —a share for each child. Numerous reports have been received by officers of the association to the committee regarding these children, who are being well eared for and periodically inspected. In ono instance the father agreed with a benevolent woman rot her to adopt one of the children on the understandng that he should rscoive £3O, but the association stepped in and stopped the transaction. The child in question lias since been legally adopted and provision liqs been made for the education of all of the children. There were many other cases on th? file, but those quoted are sufficient for the purpose —that is, to bring und a the notice of citizens the excellent work that the War Relief Association is carrying out.