Navy League in Action

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 967, 9 May 1930, Page 8

Navy League in Action

CARE OF SAILORS’ ORPHANS

NEARLY £.500,000 lias been expended by the Navy League Overseas Relief Fund from 1910 to 192 S in granting general relief and educational assistance to the orphans and other dependants of those in the navy and the merchant service who suffered as a result of the Great War. The information is contained in a general report issued by the committee in charge of the fund.

Shortly after the battle of Jutland, offers of financial assistance were received by the Navy League from its overseas branches. New Zealand was the first to offer, and the sum of £20,000 was cabled from here in a few weeks. In all, New Zealand gave £121,848. Natal followed, then South Australia, and many others. By the end of the year 1916, a sum of over £122,000 had been subscribed, and for some time afterward large sums continued to be received. The total amount of the donations from 1916 to 1928 was £440,56S 14s. These donations, together with interest on the unexpended portion of the fund, amounted at the end of 192 S to about £539,000. For many years, New Zealand has sent at Christmas-time large consignments of warm clothing from the women’s committees of the branches of the Navy League at Wellington, Masterton. Auckland, and Canterbury. Grateful thanks are due to the women and children of New Zealand who have worked together to provide these welcome gifts, the report states. The accounts have been audited annually by the accountants to the Navy League, and the point may be specially emphasised that the cost of administration for the whole period 1916 to 1928 amounted to only 4.69 per cent. PERSONAL TOUCH Promptness of action, careful adaptation of the assistance given to meet the needs of individual cases, and personal touch wherever possible—these were some of the principles which were acted upon. Very frequently advice was needed as much as financial help, and in various ways it has been possible to give this advice. In this matter the officers and members of the local sub-committee at the three principal naval ports—Chatham, Portsmouth, and Devonport—have been of the greatest assistance not only in the personal investigation of cases, but also in much sympathetic after-care. Another principle rigidly acted upon is that any educational assistance given is given through the parents or guardian, through whom accounts and school reports are also received. “The list of schools and other in-

stitutions to which the young people have gone with our assistance would be a long one, but it includes universities at home and abroad, many o£ the well-known public schools, technical colleges, training colleges for teachers, municipal and county secondary schools, training ships and evening schools the report continues. MAIN NEEDS MET An important step was taken at the end of 1919. Up to that time the funds had been used both for general relief purposes and also for educational assistance. Approximately half of the money at the disposal of the committee had been expended in these ways. In the four years which had elapsed since the foundation of the fund the main needs of cases of distress had been met and Government pensions had been augmented. It was therefore decided that the bulk of the amount remaining, which was about £231,700, should be used solely for “the maintenance; support, education advancement and benefit of children of seamen who lost their lives in the war, and of seamen who had been disabled in the war.” At the end of December, 1929, i.e., on the expiration of the trust, it is estimated that the amount of the fund sill remaining will be about £28,000 (which is about one year's normal expenditure) and of this £11,600 has been already definitely allocated to eases. It may be urged that this large residue is due to bad management. On the contrary precisely the reverse is the case. It is the result of careful foresight and skilful calculation. Certain grants have been reduced and no new cases have been accepted In the last three years, in order that assistance might continue to be available for those who had begun but had not completed their training. To withdraw help from these would he disastrous. In all more than 12,-000 cases have been investigated, and of the 3,226 individuals yvho have received educational assistance, 610 are still being helped, and though this number will rapidly decrease, some will not have completed their educational course for five or six years from December 31. 1929.