TARANAKI WAR RELIEF ASSOCIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 September 1918, Page 3

TARANAKI WAR RELIEF ASSOCIATION.

MONTHLY MEETING. The delegates to the Taranaki War jtfei (•£ Association met a f Stratford on Wednesday. rre9ent: Messr. W. P Kirkwood (Stratford, in the chair), C. E. Bellringer (Sew Plymouth), A. Larcomb (Patea), W- E. Pereival (Inglewood), P. W. Atkinson (North Taranaki), H. L. Spratt (Haweva), P. Mills (Hawera), T. B. Crump (Klthmu), E. A., Washer (Farmers' Union), and J. Steveujon (Mar.aia). A letter was ranciv.?d from the High School Hoard suggesting the Vstahlishinei.'t of a war scholarship, c.insisting of one year's free board a', the school, to be for boys in the continuation class whose fathers were, or bad been, engaged in the Expeditionary Forces. Mr. Atkinson, a rnemb-r of the board, said he thought the association Might give £3O per annum during the period of the war and 12 months afterwards. This meant £8 pu" term for boarding fees and £2 for ordinary expenses. Mr. Larcorob raiwd Ilia question as to what oilier high school* would do.

\fr Atkinson did not know of any other high scbool that had boarders on the premises. New Plymouth woald tie the least benefited by the association.

To Mr. Spratt, Mr. Atkinson said boys would go through th<i matriculation classes. The board would consider the war sacrifices of th? family" ratlier than the ability of the boy. This would bo recognising the worth of the men wbo bad gone to the front.

Mr. Spratt was Tn favor of the scheme, but the technical colleges were also -cmetbing m the nature of a hiirh school and were also entitled to consideration.

In reply to a question. Mr. Atkinson estimated tlie '"fteidenials" for a term would run to .€1 IS?

The cliriimiPii "id lie approved of the scheme, and a motion was earned appointing the chairman and Messrs Snratt and Mills to consider the matter. A dnletratc Teported on a case of a mnn who had been away with the Main Body and was now in a hospital. He had lost the use of one arm, and was frequently in a depressed condition. It had been suggested that the man should bo sent, to Tlotorun for treatment, hut this was considered inadvisable, as the of so many other inv'Ms would not improve the man's condition. A sea voyage to the Islands was considered the most efficacious means of meeting the case. «lthou?n. the delegate stated, the patient "'was not shook on the voyage." Another delosate stated that he had also visitwl the hospital, and found the man a verv "nervy" patient. He was one of a well-known family and believed a trip would he beneficial-

iPelefrates all recognised the necessity of this c;;se requiring immediate treatment, and a grant of £45 was made.

Tiejardin? applications for loans. Mr. Stevenson statod that a man with negotiable security should obtiiin his loans in other mmrters. "By applying to the assoeiation for £SOO or so, thev were only saving themselves ]'/, per cent., but *-Vv were "eating up" the association's funds. The delegate maintained th?y should Tather assist those who had not the '''gilt-'dgrd" security, bu*- were otherwise equally deserving of h»lp. The association was in d<ui?er of having the crrants considerably reduced bv these applications from those who could very well pav the aditional I'/. per cent. charged by money-lending institutions. The chairman, in reviewing the loan ■vprdications. stated that, some policy would have to be adopted re sardine future allocations. The Finance Committee believed the £liiooO already allocated was sufficient. The fund was now about £52.000 There had been little collected lately in Taranaki for the wounded soldiers, and he could not see how, under these circumstances, they could go on makin? allocations. They bad loans of £4o<N> 'before them that day, and if they granted £3OOO they would probably have another £3OOO in at the next meeting He thought they should adopt the Pinanee Committee's report, and, if the funds increased, further sums could be granted.

In reply to Sir. Percival. the secretary Stated that arants (not loans) averaged £7'2S per quarter, using last quarter as a guide. Mr TWriuger ncreed with the chairman. The association hud nearly onctliird of the funds allocated, and, if they continued lending it. within 12 months or so the funds world he tied'up. There was al=o a danger o[ the association bein? looked upon ns a lendina institution. Men applied for loans on that account, not. because they really needed a low rate of intotrest. Mr. Mills: The association has %een, up to the end of last quarter, granting relief under the old scale of, pensions and allowances, but working under the new scheme msilcc a big difference- Touching .on the war, he. thought that if it ended right away they would not find all the men hack soon I after, but would he spread over several 'ivonths, possibly a couple ot years. Up to the present, those \yho had returned were sent back unfit, and in need of attention, but when the war whs over it was certainly to be hoped that the greater proportion would be fit and able to battle for themselves. He did not think it was. very probable that there would be an industrial crisis, as men would return gradually, and some of these would return to their old employment, and others would replace the girls who would go back to domestic duties. He could not agree with ihe recommendations of the Finance Committee, and moved an amendment—"That sufficient funds be allocated to meet whatever loam might be granted out. of applications to be considered tli.it day." He afterwards withdrew this amendment at the suggestion of the chairman. Mr. Stevenson was in accord with others about conserving the funds, but wanted to know what the association intended to do with the aplications received that day and those held over from last meeting. Mr. Larcomb was not agreeable to cutting out the loans, lie thought it only fair to allocate sufficient money to meet the loans applied for on the order paper Mr. Crump said at the outset that the loan policy of the association had been very good. Tn the past they had made advances on gilt-edged securities, but there was no actual need to have done so, as these advances could have been secured elsewhere- He thought thev should allocate £."MW"-- Cl.'iOO that day and iCIoOO next meeting- He agreed with Mr. Larcomb that more notice should be given to soldiers and committees that loans would have to b» cut down.

Mr. Atkinson a<rreecl with Mr. Crump. The time they required relief most was when the Main Body returned.

Mr Stevenson pointed out that they h«d fift.dOO. and thev hart only to grant 104 applications of £SOO and this Amount diiappeared. The day was com-

ing when tbey should put tho curb on. Tho spending power of the association bad also to be considered as well as the applications for grants. The chairman said that when the Main Body returned it was quite possible the whole policy of the association would be changed ifle believed in having a certain amount of money in baud to meet all possibilities Ho moved—"That no allocations be made until further notice," but this was declared lost on the voices.

Mr Atkinson moved—"That the allocations be £IOOO at this meeting, £IOOO at the next meeting, and £IIOOO at the November meeting, and that any amount not taken up at one meeting le carried over to tho next." This also w.ts lo=t. as was another motion, that a £SfHIO allocation be made at Hie meeting, so the question remains an open on p.

An application was made from a southern society for a grant of £2 3s per month for'a period of six months', and this was granted.

The case was brought up of a man who went into camp and. after a stay there for some time, broke down in camp and was discharged. A southern society appealed for a grant of £2 5* for the man. adding that the soldier's ailments had been aggravated by the treatment in camp. On the motion of Mr. Bellringer, the matter was left in Hie hands of the Emergency Committee, with power to act.

Inglewood Committee advised that the Tarata Society bad affiliated, and would be making a special effort. A loan of £7"> was .granted a returned soldier for furniture.

The secretary reported as follows: Einlc balance. September 7. £l2Bfl Ins M\ P.O. Savings Bank. £6SCv2 10s 2d; re.-eMit« from Allanst Ifi to September 7. ■ Pl m Ss Id. principally repayment, of interest on loans advanced to soldiers.