PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 September 1918, Page 4

PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

The question of continuing to lend substantial sums of money to assist returned soldiers on to tlie land \vas debated at length by the Taranaki War Relief Association at last week's meeting, on a recommendation from the Finance Committee that no further allocation be made for this purpose. It was pointed out that with the loans under consideration by the association £IB,OOO would be absorbed out i of £52,000 available, that very little more money was in sight, and that it would be unsafe to tie up further funds in this way in view of the calls likely at the conclusion of hostilities. It was argned, on the other side, that there was no "safe" limit to the allocation pi funds, and after the war the 1

I great majority of men would come back perfectly fit and be rapidly absorbed in the community and that few would require assistance. Eventually the applications before the Association were granted, the general view being that unless additional money was raised no further loans will be granted. Few will doubt the good work done in the past by the Association, which has sought to (help the returned soldiers in every way possible, to such an extent indeed that many, well able to get outside assistance, have been granted loans. But the policy of lending out individual sums of £SOO was bound) to come to an end, for the simple reason that there is insufficient money j to go around. The money, we take it, was raised to meet cases of individual hardship not covered by any help derivable from the Government; it was meant to be supplementary, and not to take the place of Government help. Now the placing »f returned men on the land and granting them the necessary fin-j ance is unquestionably the responsibility of the- Government, and had tha latter done its duty by the ex-soldiers there would have been no call on the patriotic funds, which should be reserved for special cases, and, really, for helping the men already at the front and, the various organisations that are assisting the men there and in. New Zealand. But I the policy of the Association has been largely to shift that responsibility to the local patriotic committees and to husband its funds for "the rainy day" after the war, meantime making ad-i vances by way of loans to returned men] and investing the money in local body! and Government bonds. This policy, of course, is not without merit, but it I has given rise to the impression that has become fairly general, that the Association is but a lending institution and not particularly concerned with the needs of the men at the front. This] may explain the fact that little is now being done to help the Association's funds, the public, quite naturally, desiring that any money given shall be devoted directly to the purchase of comforts or necessities for the boys in France and England. We don't suggest that tlie Association should nob have granted applications for loans, for we realise that there are cases where such a grant would be absolutely justified, but we do say that the policy of granting loans to men who could quite well have obtained the money elsewhere was inadvisable, and that a more liberal interpretation of the Asso-I ciation's functions in connection with tlhe soldiers on service would have given more satisfaction and gained fuller public confidence and led to an accession to its funds. Further, we are of opinion that all patriotic societies should bring pressure upon Parliament to forthwith bring down a more comprehensive scheme for tho assistance of returned soldiers and the repatriation of our soldiers at the . close of the war. While patriotic societies and war relief associations are prepared to undertake this work it is a moral certainty the Government will take advantage of it and shelve or delay doing what is its own manifest duty by the men.