WAR FUNDS.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 May 1926, Page 4

WAR FUNDS.

THEIR ADMINSTRATION. j CONFERENCE TO HE LIEU). | WELLINGTON. April 30. j At a meeting of the War Fund lie 1 -, lief Association a letter from the War' f unds branch of the Department ol Internal Affairs was read convening a conference of patriotic societies to discuss the future control and disbursement of war funds, to arrive at a comic, m policy, with special reference to aj greater measure of uniformity ol t feat- j incut.

The letter stated that consideration' would he given to the exhaustion in the near future of certain societies'! funds, and the establishment- and on- j dowment of a veterans’ home, the . amalgamation of societies in eontigu-' ous areas and the centralisation of all j societies' funds per medium of the ' National War Funds Council, A report! had been formulated in which full iu-J vestigation of all these matters had been made and any suggestions that anv association desired to make were

to be sent for discussion on the agenda paper. It was stated that the large societies had held meetings to discuss the points raised, and their reports would he brought forward, if desired. Tt was only necessary to add that without exception they were opposed to any centralisation of the funds, being unable to perceive any benefit either to the soldiers or the societies in such a course.

The total Dominion war funds available amount to £722.988, held by 25 incorporated societies. The average annual capital expenditure over the last triclinium exceeded .040,000. There are at present in the Dominion outstanding loans totalling £107,501 and if 25 per cent of this he written off as non-re-payahle. the net balance of the Dominion war funds is £696,300. Tho gross total amount is £979,300, the extra amount being made up of £113,000, held hy the National War Funds Society, and £170.000 net (allowing for n ..liability of £IOOO for ten years for the Trentham scholarships? fund) which really belongs to tho soldiers. The chairman said that he was satisfied that legitimate claims would be made on the fund for another 25 years. If the present, rate of capital expenditure was maintained, tho funds would last for another 17 years at the most. Air G. Mitchell remarked that as the hulk of tho New Zealand force were young men, and the funds would he required for at least another 30 or 40 yea rs.

the chairman pointed out that an average of one person in every three was in receipt of a pension immediately after the war. For the year ending .March 31, 1924. out of the then surviving 81,000 members of the N.Z.E.F., there were 23,16(5 war pensioners. During the three years after the war 700 new pensions per annum were approved by the Pensions Board. A ■special meeting of the executive would prohahlv Ive held shortly, so that it could formulate any remits for inclusion on the order paper for the confer--en.ee.

Tt was decided to ask the department if two representatives might be chosen to represent the association at the conference.