MILITARY APPEAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 September 1918, Page 2

MILITARY APPEAL.

To the Editor. Sir,—l wish to correct that portion of tiLe report which appeared in your issue of the 2nd September, in connection with my appeal to the Military Board, heard at Hawera on the 31st of last month. Your paragraph stated that I appeared on religioia grounds, whereas this was not the case, my grounds for appeal being publio interest and Undue hardship.—l am, etc., H. S. McKENZIE. Te Itiri, 10th September TARANAKI WAR RELIEF ASSOCIATION. (To the Editor.) Sir,—Touching on your article dealing with thg loan policy of the Taranaki Provincial War Relief Association, I mrnld ask your kind permission to explain in the interests of the Association, points upon which some misapprehension appears to exist. With only a comparatively small number of men returned, compared with those that have gone, and those yet .'o go, tho Association must hold in reserve at least sufficient for the needs of the men when the main body returns to the Dominion. How, it is essential that whatever money Is held by the Association for any length of time, should be made interest bearing, and it is with this in view and at ,the same time to assist returned men, tha/t tho Association has loaned money to men on Crown lands until the Government loan is exhausted. Until recently the Government were not financing men on private lands and for the most part the money advanced by the Association has been to enable men to take up suitable privately owned land. The loan policy of the Association has not so far in any way interfered with returned men receiving the assistance they have been in need of, and provided an undue amount of the total funds is not tied up for a considerable time, the loan policy pursued is sound in every respect. I may state by way of comparison, that one War Relief Association in New Zealand that does not assist men on to the land or into business, has tied up the bulk of its funds (over £300,000) for periods ranging up to twenty years, in loans to local bodies, New Zealand War Loan, and British Exchequer Bonds. The T.P.W.R. Association has, in the past supported representations made to the Government whereby a comprehensive repatriation scheme would be brought into operation but nothing of a tangible nature has resulted so far and until proper provision is made by the Government the patriotic organisations will have to stand by the men, and assist them as far as possible in every direction.—l am, etc.. W. P. KTRK.WOOD, Chairman, Taranaki Provincial War Relief Association. Stratford, 16th Sept., 1918.