TARANAKI WAR RELIEF ASSOCIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 February 1919, Page 3

TARANAKI WAR RELIEF ASSOCIATION.

The executive of the above met at Stratford on Thursday, Mr. W. P. Kirkwood presiding. The secretary reported that the current account balance was .£lO2l 10s. in savings bank £7302 10s 2d, receipts for month £IO3B 14s (Id. Men requiring employment were: Hawera 2. Inglewood 1, Stratford 2, New Plymouth 5, Eltliam 1, Opunakc 1. Several applications concer^Jng B anonev grants were dealt with. RELIEF POLICY. Pursuant to notice, Mr. W. P. Kirkwood moved that the followin J. ' "- a basis on which the funds controlled ->/ the Association will for the future be administered: (1) Elimination of loans! otherwise than loans for furniture; (2) make straight-out grants for various purposes, including clothing; (3) augment pensions; (4) supplement incomes; (u) moke loans for furniture of £75 j maximum, or, in lieu, straight-out grants of a lesser sum; (6) to give assistance hy way of grant of weekly allowance to soldiers or dependents as" each individual case may merit after investigation. Note.—The actual figures of men who went to the front from Tara'uaki are not available from an official source, but it is estimated tluit 6000 men went from the province, of which it is estimated that 1000 were killed and approximated 1000 men have returned; subtracting the number of men who were in camp when hostilities ceased (estimated 500) this leaves 3500 men to return from overseas, and of this number the Association would in all probability have to assist at least 2000. The total fund of the Association is , approximately £52,000, with approximately £15,000 cash at call. A pro rata distribution of the funds amongst the whole of the men who went to the front from the province would be less than £lO per man; this does not take into consideration assistance to the men's dependents) for whom the fund of the Association also provides. The basic idea in the resolution is to give the men immediate direct benefits from the fund, and to enable the whole fund to be administered and wound up within a reasonable time limit. After considerable discussion the motion was lost by 4 to 3. Tn reply to Mr. Spratt, who inquired if the Association rules permitted them to guarantee advances, the chairman said he did not think so, but they might just aB well provide the money as take this course, because they would have to have a fund in case of being called upon to pay.