WAR RELIEF ASSOCIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 June 1918, Page 3

WAR RELIEF ASSOCIATION.

MONTHLY MEETING. (From Our Own Correaepondeut.) The monthly meetiag of S&e Taranaki War Relief Association was held ail Stratford yesterday morning. Present: Messrs W. P- Kirbwood (Stratford, in the chair), C. E. Bellringer (New Plymouth), T B- Crump (Elfcham), J. Stevenson (Manaia), McNeill (Egmont), F. W. Atkinson (North Taranajki), P. L. Spratt (Soldiers' Association), E. A. Washer (Farmers' Union), and H. Malls (Hawera) Mr. 9piufct said the matter of grants being made by tie association, in his opinion, required a little alteration. Under the domicile requirements, he thought strangers coming to the province were not getting sufficient consideration. They were granting £25 in the case of a Waikato man, and they should eliminate the domicile rule. The chairman could not altogether approve of the suggestion Taranaki was the only association lending money on the land. Without a spirit of reciprocity or 00-operation, the whole scheme would fail. He would olbjeet to assisting cnxtside meffl to the detriment of our own men. Mr. C- E. Bellringer stated thai before they made a loan they had to ascertain if the applicant had a reasonable prospect of paying back and could sihow a certain security. If they were csixeful, they could continue to deal witii iaA case on its merits. ~ The chairman concurred. sHie first duty was to assist returned men. Mr. AiMnson desired information aa to the amount of money collected and applied for. The secretary stated that the amount allocated was £12,000, and the amount applied for up to since then an additional £1760. During May £I6OO had been granted, and £2079 was now available Mr Stevenson agreed that they must assist their own men a s far as possible. Apart from that, they should not let the domicile question come uip. Mr. Bejbinger suggested that MrSpratt should make this a notice of mo♦ton, and the returned soldiers' delegate agreed to this course, and will move it at the next meeting. PATRIOTIC FAMTTJT. A delegate drew attention to a case &at required attention. In this in* stance a familywitih four sons and two girls going to school were disturbed through the war. Two of the three bqys went to tie front and one was iHHwI, the other being in the trendies, 'whilst the youngest had recently die£ in a hospital after an illness. It occurred to him that the War Belief Association might assist in talcing over the hospital and funeral expenses, £29. These amounts were a big hurdle for ISie family, whose circumstances had been considerably reduced through the loss of the male membersThe grant was carried unanimously. GENERAL. A little discussion followed on the question of making grants or loans on furniture to men who marry after returning. All the delegates thought that the returned goldiers should receive every encouragement, and a motion that, the amount be £SO found little favor, and an amendment that the maximum be £76 was carried. The secretary's report showed that amounts received during June totalled £659 0s sd, the principal item being £540 8s 6d from the North Taranaki League, contribution to the Wounded Soldiers' Fund. ißank balance stood at £339, and at the Post Office Savings Bank £12,862. The secretary reported that there were eight men awaiting employmentStratford and New Plymouth two each, Inglewood, Alton, Hawera, and Opunake one each. One of the Stratford men desired employment in the clerical division of the Public Service, the other soldier has not communicated with the representative of the district. Regard-ing New Plymouth, one man had only recently csurie on the list, and there was no report, and in the other the peculiar state of the man's disabilities it was impossible to place him. The Opunake men anticipated going in for farming or accepting employment in dairy factory work. Four applications for amounts totalling £405 were granted, after a little consideration. An application for £SOO to stock by another soldier was favorably reviewed, repayments to be made at £IOO per year, and 5 per cent to be charged, provided securities hk satisfactory Regarding contributions to regimental funds, Mr Atkinson said he favored n published statement of these funds At present many people were not sure that the money subscribed was properly forwarded to the men at the front. —Mr. Spratt said in the past there had been no organised scheme. Money was forwarded from various districts to officers. This should be prevented, and the fund nut on a Dominion basis. The War Relief Association delegates were business people, and the. public could rely on their disposing of the funds properly Men in France who were granted leave had at times to sell their leave to friends who had money—A motion was, carried to make known the claims of regimental funds. Comment was alsQ made on a returned soldier who had been granted an advance to go into business, but had not been able to continue it, the business now being controlled by applicant's "father.— Mr Spratt said the goldiers and the Returned Soldiers' Association only wanted a fair thing, and would be the first to demand that steps he taken to obtain satisfaction. —Delegates "expressed the opinion that the War Association had been very patient in the matter and had given the man every chance Steps will be taken to close the matter