FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 February 1918, Page 4

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE BOARD.

SECOND DIVISION'S CONCERN INTERVIEW WITH DEFENCE MINISTER. 'By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Second Division League, which recently has been criticising adversely the work of the Financial Assistance Board, waited on Sir Jamos Allen to-day to state the ease against the board. Mr R. A. Armstrong, president of tho league, said the deputation came to meet the'Milliliter in consequence of the re- " presentations made to the league in connection with the decisions of tho Financial Assistance Board. It wished to mention also th" separation allowances and other matters affecting the homes and dependents of soldiers. The league want* ed the system improved. It would supply names and details in order that the Minister might make the investigation he promised. Mr. Armstrong wished to ask, on behalf of the league, for a fairly definite assurance from the Minister that the grievances would be remedied. There was great anxiety among Second Division men, and if the deputation could take away something more than an assurance that matters raised would receive careful consideration, the confidence which had been sadly shaken would be in a measure restored. He emphasised that they did not desire that soldiers' wives and dependents should have to battle for justice, and the league ob- ' jected to official inquiries as to whether a wife was likely to go out to work, They held that a woman's capacity to earn should not come into the question at all. ■ s He quoted details of Bevoral cases which had been considered by the league. Referring to the payment of the separation allowance to home service men, Mr. Armstrong said tho Department ought to discriminate between men living in their own homes and men actually separated from their families. Mr. H. F. Toogood objected to, the Financial Assistance Board insisting on the allotment of 3s Od to a wife, leaving only Is (Id a day for the man himself. The league contended that a married man had even more right to establish a nest egg for his return than a single man, and that his financial resources should not be exhausted while he was on active service. Mr. C. 11. Chapman advocated an increase of the separation allowances to (is per day for a wife and Is par day for a child, was very glad to. see them, and hear Sir James Allen, replying, said he what they had to say. The Government and the Minister of Defence were very Financial Assistance Board should' be anxious that those who eamc before the treated liberally. It was his intention that the board should deal with them liberally, and he hoped it was doing so, He wanted to say he thought it would liavo been better had they, before they presented their cases in public, laid them before him and got the board's side ol the case, and then presented both sides together. If they could show that any injustice had been done it would be rectified. He was not able that day to say whether the decisions of the board in the cases cited were right in principle. He would have to have them fully examined. Dealing with the question of the re; fusal of the Financial Assistance Board to pay a premium on a new life insur< ance policy for £2OO, and the written statement of the secretary that the board had no authority for doing so, the Minister said he thought the lettei thedeputation had read must have been written by the secretary of the board under a misunderstanding. They must know themselves that payment of such premiums had been authorised in cases. In reply to questions, Sir James Allen said the letter seemed to have been sent from the office of the board under a misapprehension, and be gave an assurance* that it would be put right. Sir James added that he had had inquiries made as to the policy of the board in dealing with these policies, and he was informed that the board would gnant premiums for policies already taken out. If a man wished to take out a new policy for £2OO, he must do so at his own risk, and he must take it out before approaching the board if he wished any assistance from the board in tho payment of premiums. Tho board certainly had power to grant premiums, and the war loading for new policies in cases of hardships. There were cases where the board did pay premiums because the men were able to #o *o themselves. The point had been made about the question of n wife going to work. He was informed that the board did not ask a wife whether she was going to work, and had never done so. Regarding allotments, he thought it essential that a married man should leave 3s (id per day to his wife. It had been decided that the amount a married man should leave his wife before ho asked for assistance should be 3s (kl per day. He thought this was a reasonable amount, and he was satisfied a married man could not need more thun la Cd per day at the front. i Sir James Allen said it could not be claimed that home service men were in the same position as the men who had to go to tight. The home service man volunteered. The lighting man was conn pelled to go. The Minister said regarding the Financial Assistance Board that he wanted them to believe he was honest in his intentions when he framed the regulations and created the board. The scheme was designed in order to eliminate cases of hardship. As far as he knew, the board had been sympathetic, and was doing its work well.' He was prepared, however, to reconsider the constitution of the board, if it was not giving satisfaction. The board, however, had a difficult task to handle. They .could not grant every amount asked' for, and refusals doubtless created concern in the minds of those aii'ectcd. He was sorry to hear the expressions of lacking confidence in the board. In reply to a question,'the Minister said ho could not promise to constitute boards all over the country, for the reason that it would create a variety of judgment and grave anomalies. He con- . eluded by saying that he was always willing to get'assistance from them. He wanted them to work with him and his Department. Where there were attempts to exploit the Government it was his duty to protect the Government. They could rest assured that whatever he could do would bo done, but he asked them to go to him candidly when they had grievances, and let Mm know what they were.