HOROWHENUA COUNTY PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION.

Shannon News, 1 June 1923, Page 3

HOROWHENUA COUNTY PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION.

SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING. The sixth annual meeting of the Horowhenua Comity Patriotic' Association was held in the Couacil Chambers last week. Mr P- W. Goldsmith being in th© chair. The following report and ‘balance sheet was submitted“ The Management Committee met three times, and the Executive Commitee three times during the year, the attendance being satisfactory.; .The operations ~of the past year have revealed more than ever the. need of the funds that are at the disposal of the. Association, and your committee have every reason.to believe that the men and dependants who have been assisted during the year have been most deserving cases. As in the past the policy of your Committee has been to safeguard the fund, at the same time giving minute attention to all applications made upon them, considering them upon their merit, and have always endeavoured to relieve distress in cases where it has been known to exist. Cases of hardship have been brought to the knowledge of the Committee by its members, - and assistance has in such cases been given. In reference to loans to soldiers, it is gratifying to notice that in most cases, the interest payments are paid up, but owing to the general depression there was an amount of £486 13s lid (as against £157 3s Id last year) principal repayments overdue at March 31. It is assumed that so long as> the interest on- the overdue principal is kept paid, the Association will be further assisting the grantees by deferring their repayments as fixed by agreements:' Your Committee were empowered at the last annual meeting to grant loans (not exceeding £100) up to £SOO during the ensuing year, if funds were available. The sum of £432 was thus lent, £SO of which sum has been repaid. The town section donated to the Association by the beneficiaries of the McDonald Estate was sold during the year to : a returned soldier, the price being £6O. A sum of £IOOO, invested at the Public Trust Office, matured on March 6 last, and ha? been re-invested for a further term of 5 years at 5 per cent.

The balance sheet showed that the accumulated funds now amounted to £5843 4s 5d while £SB 16s 7d was held on behalf of a soldier.

The statement, of receipts showed that a balance of £159 was brought forward from last year, proceeds of War' Trophies Exhibition £5 3s, sale of section £6O, refund by other societies £l9, interest on investments £222, refunds of soldiers’ loans £274, matured war ‘certificates £6OO, refund from other societies for soldiers’ loans £SO, refund by grantees on account of other societies £25, transferred from P. 0.5.8. £370, separate trust account from P. 0.5.8. £450.

Expenditure included grants to soldiers £322, loans to soldiers £432, grants on account of other societies £lO, soldiers’ loans refunded to other societies £35, paid to beneficiary £BO, loans on account of other societies £SO, transferred to P. 0.5.8. £6OO, secretary’s salary £IOO, stationery and advertising £7 Bs, telephone £6. In speaking to the report, the chairman said that tihe sum of £486 loans which were due had not been received, with the result that they were this amount short of what might have been advanced to other soldiers. The policy of the Association was that while the depression existed, whereinterest was paid up, the principal in these cases was allowed to stand over. He outlined the work which had been done during the past year and gave several instances of deserving cases which had been relieved. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. Chairman— Mr P. W. Goldsmith was unanimously re-elected. Committee.—Last year’s committee was re-elected. Mr Goldsmith, in thanking the imeeting for his re-election, said that no public work which he had ever taken part in gave him greater pleasure than this. He felt that he was making some return to men who had made considerable sacrifices for us. He hoped that the work would never flag as long as the necessity for it continued. The funds of the Association were not shrinking much, but against this was the fact that they had never turned down a deserving ease. They had to guard against imposition in one or two instances, but there was not much of this, and many very deserving cases had been helped. ORDINARY MEETING. Immediately after the general meeting a meeting of the Management Committee wa s held. There were present Mr P. W. Goldsmith (chairman), Mrs T. F. Gibson, and Messrs Keedwell, Howell, W. Kilsby, J. Smith, J. M. Richards, and the secretary, Mr F. P. Walkeley. Several letters were received from the Auckland Provincial Patriotic Association warning the local organisation against certain undeserving cases

■> - "'V " '* I-‘"ft i who might apply for relief. —Received

The Manawatu Patriotic Society wrote regarding a man from this district who had been shot in the hand, and had since taken up a farm, and suggested that the Association keep in touch with this man in case he required assistance. It was left to Mr Kilsby to make inquiries as to whether assistance was required. Several amounts were received in repayment of loans and advances. The Southland War Funds Association wrote re the widow of a soldier from this district, who had married again, but was deserted by her husband and was in poor circumstances, and suggesting that an allowance be made for rent.—Agreed to. The War Relief Association, Wellington, asked for a refund of £1 advanced to a. man who had enlisted from this district.—Agreed to. The ' same Association wrote suggesting that a grant of £lO be made to a man from the Horowhenua (Ms-' trict to buy carpenter’s tools.—Granted.

A letter was received from a returned soldier stating that his wife was ill, and he himself suffering from the result > of gun-shot wounds, his leg geing permanently injured ?o that he was handicapped in working. He asked that assistance might 1<" given. In connection with this case a letter was received from the Marton Patriotic Association stating that Ibis was a case of genuine hardship. The secretary explained that a grant of 30s per week had previously been made, and it was decided to continue this.

An application for £260 towards the building of a house was refused, this sum exceeding the amount advanced by the Association. A letter was received from the N.Z. Returned Soldiers’ Association, 'enclosing a copy of a motion passed at the Last meeting of that body expressing the thanks of the Association for the splendid work- done by the Patriotic Associations throughout New Zealand for returned men.

A Tetter was received asking that the repayment of a loan might stand over for some time—Agreed to. In the case of a man who wrote asking for assistance to support a large family, enquiries by the police had elicited the fact that the man himself was undeserving and had on several occasions been convicted of drunkenness. A grant of 15s per week was made, such money to b? paid to a storekeeper and advanced in the form of grocefte- only. In connection with money held m trust for the children of a deceased soldier, it was decided to pay £4 per month’to a local clergyman to be used on their behalf.

A grant of £5 was made for rent. In the case of an application whidh was received two months ago from a soldier in hospital, for assistance towards the purchase of a sewingmachine for-his- wife, it had .been found on enquiry that the wife was now doing well,‘anti that assistance was not, necessary.

Two applications for grants for the purchase of furniture were granted.

Mr Keedwell, at the conclusion of the meeting, expressed appreciation of the manner in which the secretary ( had carried out his duties during the t past year, and had kept in touch j with both the men helped and the | members of the Association. His re- • marks were endorsed by the chair-i man. I

A vote of thanks to the chair concluded the meeting.