FLOCK HOUSE

Shannon News, 23 December 1924, Page 3

FLOCK HOUSE

THE ‘ YEAR’S'

The annual report of the Zealand Sheep owner s’ Acknowledgement of Debt to British Seamen Fund, which, owing to ; dn, alteration In , the end of the financial year, traverses the activities of the Board of trustees over the, period of-wne Mg***"”.October, 1923, to June ,30th. presents most conclusive evidence of the splendid work which } the doing, for the sons of former British 'seamen. The. import, v?hich is to be submitted' to the annual .meeting ,Qf subscribers at to.morrow, bears the signature of t&e..Hon. Ed-,

ward,Newman (chairman), and refers! to the transfer of the vheadquarters of the Fund to , Palmerston North, owing to; the purchase of me Flock House Estate, upon, which J?Qys are j being, trained ,in ; pursuits.

Belief Expenditure. Consideration, states utbe* document, had been given by the exQtffitiVe committee -.to i 204 < applications for. financial t assistance, the relief, .payments, totalling £2761 16/8, and the loans £l9O. . xi ■■ “Improved conditions,”.. .the report, gose on, ‘‘have relieved the ; Fund from 1 the necessity Yof assisting j a

number oftimes were unable to- obtain- employ-* ment' suited 1 to ’their in almost every case'Which is now, being assisted by the Fund, the need 1 ot relief is directly or Indirectly the result of service afloat during the war. The trustees feel that'they-are now ■in a position to' indicate' with some degree of accuracy th e extent to which the Fund will be called upon to render assistance in, "the “future^

There. ar e a considerable number .of permanently disabled' ’sdilors , and dependents who can be regarded as being more or less, permanent beneficiaries ; and they will' represent an annual expenditure • of, approximately £I,BOO per annum. With, the possibility of other such cases coming under notice, and allowing ,for assistance from time 'to time to cases of partial ,or temporary disablement, it would .appear that the Fund’s expenditure in "the form of relief payments in ' New Zealand-will, for some,yeai’s to come, be about £2.600 per annum. We again take pleasure .in recording

our cordial thanks and appreciation for the most .valuable assistance in, the investigation .of cases and ; in, the t dis., bursement of grants, .which has been, extended to the Fund ,by ,other WarRelief Organisations operating throughout the Dominion. ,We have especially .• appreciated .the sympathe? tic interest which these > Bodies >. hay e taken in sailors and dependents yrtio. are the responsibility of this Fund, and the thoroughness > with which the cases have, in almost every instance, been inquired into. Relief Expenditure in England. ; The ' London advisory s committee continues to grant financial assistance to .a considerable number of dependents and sailors in England who are in need of help as the result 'of war service. In view of the Inauguration of the training farm scheme by which the orphaned song of Seamen are transferred from' England to New Ze’aiand, the London work will more and more be confined/to this form of help though, there will be for some considerable time a permanent pension list attended to by the London Committee Tvhich will cover the most' distressing cases and particularly those in which the sailor or deceased sailor served on vessels trading between New Zealand and England during the /War. An audited statement of accounts to June 30th, 1924, has not yet come to hand,> but one for the period April Ist, 1923, to • January 31st, 1934, has been received and, shows that during that time relief expediture amounted to £3084 9/3. The committee's expenditure from Ist February to 30th. June, 1924, was, as per cabled advice received, £1879 12/7. committee continues to' have the assistance, in the investigation of claims and in the disbursement of grahts, or other organisations in England which cater for- the needs of seamen. "yv? .would again express our very sincere (thanks, to Sir James Allen,( thei members of his Committee, and .' to, ,the (lion. Secretary Mr C. .Knowles for 'their untiring efforts in the interests, of the Fund and wm .sufferers. We would , also extend our hearty thanks 'to th e kindred organisations who by their coroperation ,haye jbeen of^great. assistance to the London , Committee ■ Lieut.-Colonel Fitzherbert, C.’M.G., C.8.E., who,ha s been a valued member of the Committee ever since Its (formation, will shortly be visiting (New Zealand and we look to from liim detailed infor. (mation concerning the •more recent activities.’ After dealing with the history of the acquirement of the estate, the report states: ‘‘The purchase Was made , ’on a very satisfactory basis, and it IS. confidently anticipated 'that,,the. farm operations will not only pay interest on the purchase money, but that the ; (farm will increase in value so that (the capital invested will be later •available* for the further assistance of the'most satisfactory trainees, when ■ they are) mature and competent farm-; "ers, to start farming operations on (their own accounts. ‘(The trustees’*interest in the-lads will rot cease until the time' comes -when .they < are all satisfactorily settled on (farms s 'ot their > own and in a positlopto help others, in the way they themselves have been helped. ,; When" they ! ’are of mature age and are competent, farmers, and have proved their worth - by employers” reports and their own (savings, the trustees will consider (further assistance towards the de- 1 ssired end, so far as funds will permit." ■ ’ Thanks are accorded Sir James Allen for publicity work in London, and Mr T. R. Lees, (hon. treasurer