HOROWHENUA PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION.

Shannon News, 1 June 1926, Page 4

HOROWHENUA PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual general meeting of the Horowhenua Patriotic Association was held at Levin on Wednesday in the Century Hall, the chair being occupied by Mr. P. W. Goldsmith. Also present: Mrs. T. F. Gibson (Shannon), Messrs C. S. Keedwell (Levin), G. P. Catley (Te Horo), J. M. Richards (Ihakara), A. - McLeavey (Ohau), W. E. Kilsby (Koputaroa), G. Maclean (Paraparaumu), A. Mackay (Paekakariki), J. S. Smith (Paekakariki), H. O. Whitehouse (R.S.A.), and L. Howell (Paraparaumu). An apology for absence was received from Mr. H. Nicolson. The Annual Report. The report stated: —

“The work of the Association carried on during the year has involved 1 the usual amount of routine. A fair number of claims have' been dealt with, and grants made in all cases where help was warranted. The quarterly meetings have been fairly well attended And the executive has met whenever necessary. Pooling Patriotic Society Funds. — During the year an intimation was reccived from the Minister of Internal Affairs stating that it was proposed to hold a conference of Patriotic Societies to consider the amalgamation of 1 the Societies into one Association, the pooling of the funds and other matters relating to the business and, welfare of such Societies. The matter was discuss-

ed at the recent quarterly meeting, 'but the proposal did not meet with the! approval of the members. The chairman was appointed a delegate to the conference, should the same be called! together by the Minister. So far, however, the matter has not eventuated. 1 It will be for the annual meeting to express its vi'ews upon this question. ! Grants. —Grants to the number of 88 have been made during the year to various applicants, the total amount involved beiqg £3Bl. Money grants have not alwhys been given. Sometimes th'e as*sistance given takes jthe form of a supply of tools or machines so as to enable the applicants to : do something towards their own support. As hitherto, wherever possible, inquiries are made concerning any cases deserving help where there is reluctance or hesitation to ask for assistance. Administration. —The secretary, Mr. F. P. Walkley, has carried out his duties during the year with his usual thoroughness, and his office is at the call of those who have business with the Association in its many branches. It may not have been fully realised that the secretary’s work cannot all be tabulated. Advice and counsel for instance, form an important feature 1 of that work, and from Mr. Walkley’s ex perience he is well fitted to direct those in difficult situations who apply for the Association’s assistance. In the majority of instances the secretary’s advico is very much appreciated. The entire cost of administration is under £l2O per annum. The Association’s accounts have been audited by Mr. J. L. Arcus, 1.1.A.\ (N.Z.), and the balance-sheet is submitted herewith. The thanks of the Association is due to Mr. Arcus for his honorary service. Representation.—-During the year Mr. W. Murdoch left the district and retired from the Association as a representative for Shannon. Mr. Murdoch had been a very active and useful member of the Association since its inception. It will be necessary under the rules' to elect repres’entatives from the respective districts in the Association’s area. Thanks. —The thanks of the Association are due to the press, for reporting the proceedings of meetings, and giving th'e necessary publicity to its affairs. Assets. —At the end of the year under review the assets of the Association stood at £5192, a decline or £247 as against the previous year. These assets may b'e divided into trio divisions: Investment and cash £2746 Loans to soldiers £2446 £5.192 Soldiers’ Loans—As money has cohie in from re-payments it has been loaned out to other applicants. It H therefore to be regretted that some of those to whom loans have been granted have for various reasons been unable or have failed to repay the instalments or principal as they became due, hence'others who might have been assisted with loans were unable to procure them. The loans under this head now. number forty-seven, and the amount involved comprises nearly one half of the Association’s funds. In the main, these loans have been very helpful to the borrowers, and re-paymeirts in most cases are being met.

Although there may be a few instances where the loans made have, through unforeseen causes, been of little use to those whom it was desired to help, yet on the whole the policy of the Association in thus lending a portion of its funds has been justified. For the year under review eight new loans have been granted, amounting to £305 The Financial Position. The condition of the Society s finances, shown by the statement of receipts and expenditure, is as follows: — RECEIPTS.

Balance in Bank of N.Z. .. 57 IS 8 £874 7 11 Liabilities, in the form of total accumulated funds, amount to £5192 4s. Assets. —Post Office Savings Bank account, £lB6 5s Sd; inscribed stock, £1000; Public Trust, £1500; loans to soldiers, £2445 19s Sd; outstanding grant, Wellington Wan Relief, £2; bal* ance at Bank of N.Z., £57 18s 8d; total, £5192 4s.’’ The annual report and balance sheet were adopted. Pooling of Funds. The Government has called a meeting for Bth June at which all Societies diiteetly interested in the activities of Patriotic Societies will be represented, to discuss the proposed concentration of Patriotic Societies’ funds into one big organisation. The chairman, who with the iecretary, will represent the Horowhenua Patriotic Association at the above gathering, said he would like to have •a definite expression of opinion as to what action he and Mr. Walkley should take. The matter had been discussed at the last quarterly meeting of the committee, who agreed that no good would accrue to the local men if the funds of patriotic societies were pooled.

Mr. L. Howell said the question was whether the local Association would have better representation if societies were amalgamated. His experience was that when societies became bigger they were also more cumbersome in ■> action, which meant that the assistance and attention given to local men would gradually become less.. Accordingly he moved that the local Association should veto the suggested pooling scheme.

Mr. Mackay considered the present scheme- could not be improved, and tlie men were quite satisfied to leave the Association’s business in\ the hand of Mr. Goldsmith and M r - Walkley. Coming to the out-districts, the speaker contended that if the circle were extended, it meant the men would suffer. At present the scheme was pretty well arranged, and they now had local committees who could look into the merits of each ease. Do away with that and they would do away with one of the greatest benefits. Mr. Kilsby also thought' it preferable to keep in direct touch with returned men, which could not be if they were merged intp the one huge concern.

Mr. Whitehouse concurred with the previous speakers, as no doubt, if the funds were larger so would be the administrative costs, in addition to the Society being right out of touch with the men. Although the R.S.A. would like to have 1 the funds concentrated" into one big concern, the speaker was of the opposite opinion. The discussion closed with the chairman remarking that the local Association seemed to be unanimous on the delegates’ not agreeing to a hasty amalgamation of funds. Officers. For the ensuing year the executive will be constituted as follows:—Messrs P. W. Goldsmith (chairman), C. S. Keedwell and H. O. Whitehouse (R.S.A.), J. P. Brandon, H. Nicolson, E. Butt, J. T. Bovis, S. A. Broadbelt, J. M. Richards, W. E. Kilsby, .A. McLeavey, C. Nees, H. Andrew, G. P. Catley, T. Fraser, C. C. Higginson, R. G. Maclean, L. Howell, J. Smith, A. Mackay, and Mrs. T. F. Gibson. ■ General. The Under-Secretary of Internal Affairs acknowledged receipt of quarterly feturns up to 31st March. The War Funds Council forwarded reports of their activities. Several re-payments of soldiers’ loan's and interest were received during the quarter. The action of the executive was approved in granting £2 10s per week to an urgent case. A further grant of £1 per * week for a period to another man was also affirmed. . It was resolved to refund £6 to a southern Society who had made a grant on the local Association’s, account. The Levin R.S.A. thanked the Association for having afforded relief to two returned m'en in financial difficul ties. # A distrust case was reported, this being loft in the hands of the executive. It was resolved to contribute, by subscription, a sum of approximately £7 7s, balance of cost of 'erecting a head stone over the grave of a returned soldier, buried in the Levin cemetery. The R.S.A. intimated their intention of subscribing £3 3s towards the sum. Tire action of the executive in granting £6 19s to a returned soldier out of work, was endorsed. Two applications - for loans, to pay back debts, were declined. One application for the loan of £IOO was granted under the. usual conditions, subject to funds being available.

£ s d To balance 31/3/25 133 13 2 Refund Soldiers* Loans .. 441 12 9 Transfer from P.O. A/c .. 50 0 0 Interest on Investments .. 201 16 2 Interest on P.O.S.B. Deposit Grants refunded by other 13 5 10 Societies 34 0 0 £874 7 11 EXPENDITURE. £ s d By grants to Soldiers .... 331 ” Grants on Account of other 12 8 Societies 46 0 0 ** Loans to Soldiers .... 305 0 0 ** Interest P.O.S.B. .... 13 5 10 Secretary’s Salary Telephone rent, stamps and bureau fees • 100 0 0 15 18 3 Advertising 2 6 Sundries • • • 2 5 0