TARANAKI WAR RELIEF ASSOCIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 May 1919, Page 6

TARANAKI WAR RELIEF ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING, The annual meeting of the Taranaki War Relief A4sociatian was held at Stratford yesterday. Present: Messrs W. P. Kirkwood (Stratford, chairman), W. J. Crawshaw (Stratford), F. W. Tocker, C. A. Larcombe (Patea), L. B. Grirastone, T. B. Crump (Eltham), D. L. A. Astbury, A. E. Washer (Farmers' Union), J. S. McKay, J. F. Stevenson (Manaia), W- E. Pere'ival, J. W. Winfleld (Tnglewood), F. C. G. Heron, F. W. Atkinson (North Taranaki), E. Sage (Haivera), W. J. Chaney and C. E. Bellringer (New Plymouth). The following members of the executive were re-appointed: Messrs C. E. Bellringer, F. W. Atkinson, T. B. Crump, A. E. Washer,, C. A. Larcombe, W. P. Kirkwood, J. F. Stevenson, F. Mills (Hawera), and W. E. Percival. No nominations were received from the county of Eginont and the E.S.A.

ANNUAL REPORT. The third annual report submitted stated, inter alia: It is again satisfactory to note that, notwithstanding the increase in expenditure compared with the previous year, there is still a substantial balance carried to the credit of the wounded soldiers' fund account, which with the loan account at present stands in excess of the previous year by £lsOl lis 6d. The subscriptions for the year amounted to £2966 18s lOd, and the largest donations over £SO, to the nearest £l, were as follows: April, 1918, North Taranaki League, £450; May 1918, North Taranaki League, £9O; April, 1918, Inglewood Committee transfer of Kaimata funds, £303; December, 1918, Inglewood Committee special effort, £339; September, 1918, Manaia Committee special effort. £1450 The executive forwarded the following amounts for the use of soldiers abroad: Regimental funds, three instalments of £259; War Contingents Association, one instalment of £155; Russell Square Club, London, one instalment of £IOO. Regarding soldiers on the land, applications flowed in fairly freely, and loans were continued until the executive committee had allocated and passed applications to the amount of £IB,OOO, which sum included the outstanding balances of loatos previously granted. Others have been assisted in businesses, acquiring dwellings and furniture. The emergency | committee dealt with 70 cases during the year. Owing to the persistent efforts of the war relief associations the Government allowance for clothing was increased to £5 ss, and with local assistance brought the amount up to £lO 10s. During the year special efforts were conducted by Manaia and Inglewood Committees, the result being very satisfactory in both cases. These two efforts were responsible for the association's income being in excess of the expenditure.

No less than 500 cases were dealt with, and relief granted by the association and local branches, the amount granted by the branches being, £3124 0s 5&. Grants made by way of loans to assist men on the land, business or houses amounted to £88,489. Subscriptions to the wounded soldiers' fund received from local branches from 'the inception of the association to 31st March, 1919, calculated to the nearest £, are as follows: Stratford, £12,205; New Plymouth, £10,215; Hawera, £9795; North Taranaki, £5916; Patea and district, £4804; Eltham, £4439; Manaia and district, £2822; Inglewood, £2198; county of Egmont, £1670.

The sick and wounded soldiers' and dependents' fund, including loan fund account, as at March 31, 1919, stands at £53,498 8s 3d, as against £51,990 17s 9d.

CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS. The chairman, in moving the adoption of the annual report and balance-sheet, said they were very satisfactory, and it was a matter for congratulation that while all necessitous cases had been provided for and every reasonable assistance given the present financial position would permit of the adoption of a fairly liberal policy for the future. It would be necessary for the incoming executive to prepare a policy for future operations. During the latter ,part of the year several references bad been made to the matter of loans, and he had endeavored to get

the executive to adopt straight-out grants instead of loans. This would allow the work of the association to he completed within a limited number of years. Their funds were more liquid, he believed, than those of any other association in New Zealand. Their furthest investment would mature in 1923. As a result of the funds being in such a liquid state the incoming executive would be able to shape more readily any policy j it may seem advisable to adopt. In regard to assistance to returned soldiers he was of opinion that those permanently disabled should receive consideration,

say, in the way of a straight-out grant. At a later stage he would mote that it be a recommendation to the incoming executive that several scholarships should be allotted for the children of fallen soldiers. They had provided several for the children of soldiers, and he thought that half a dozen similar to the Trentham scholarships should be allocated to the children whose parents had lost their lives in the war. With regard to loans, he would move later that a recommendation be made to the new executive in the matter. They would

notice in the report a reference to the land question, The amount of loan allowed by the Government for improved land was not sufficient. To soldiers going on to bush lands £IOOO to £1250 was granted, but the advances to those taking up improved lands were limited to from £3OO to £750. They hoped in the latter cfje to see the amount of the advance raised to £IOOO. Soldiers had been agitating for some time for the power to dispose of their goodwill, hut if the advance from the State was suffi- :

cient in the first instance this power would not he required. The idea was to pret readj; money with which to acquire land which could ho worked more advantageously. The men without capital at their command were not able to purchase the best class of stock. Tt would be better for (he man and for the Government also if the allowance was raised to a figure which would enable the soldier io get a good start. If the position was reviewed it would be found that the Government held the very best se- i curity. which included the land, stock,

and chattels. In reewrd to placing men on the land it should he a condition precedent that, ttiev were fit to go on the land, and once on the land the Government should treat them properly. They had men in the local association well qualified to advise the Government on the land ouestion. The men applying for land would generally be known locally,

htness of Junu lor Soulier settlement. To put all men, lit anil willing to go, on the land would mean very heu .7 expenditure, but it was a good proposition, He knew 01 no better security in tne world than the broad acres of .New Zealand, More men should lie settled in Taranaki. Of ail the men settled liere he did not think there had been one failure—certainly not where a man had been selected for his illness to go on the land. The prospects for settlement here were very bright indeed. It might seem that ho was criticising very Ireely, but he did not want his criticism to be destructive; he wanted it to be constructive. He wanted to point out what the Government should do in finally shaping the important question of repatriation. He was quite satisfied that the Hon. Guthrie, if given a free hand, would work along sound lines. THE FUTURE POLICY. Mr. T. B. Crump, in seconding, said the points referred to by the chairman comprised many interesting features of the past work of the association. As for tne future policy, there was no stage in the history of the association when so many difficulties were presented. Now that the war was over they had to take into consideration the changed conditions. While the war was on they had no idea of the extent to which their liabilities might run,. Referring to the liquid condition of the funds he said that the policy of the association in this respect was justified. The new executive would find the funds in such a condition Jiat they would have a free hand in deciding upon a policy for the future. That was a very fortunate state of affairs for which" past executives might very well take credit- Long-dated debentures did not mean that the money would not be

available if urgently needed. There was a possibility that the Government would later take over the funds of the War Relief Associations, but in the meantime there were many questions their association had to face in connection with the administration of funds for which they were trustees. As for the loan policy he had no hesitation in saying that it was one of the finest features of the association's work in past years, though it was,a policy which met with little sympathy in other parts of New Zealand. They had lent to soldiers substantial sums up to £SOO. Pressure had been brought to bear to prevent this, but the success of the policy had convinced very many of the associations through-

out New Zealand that the policy was wise and sound. The granting of substantial loans had been discontinued some months ago. They had come to the conclusion that the £IB,OOO already expended in this way was the limit that could be allowed for the purpose. Whether the policy which had been suspended should be resumed was a matter j for the new executive to consider. It was a question whether they should not grant in the future loans up to £2OO or £3OO for special purposes to men on the land or going into businesses, for short periods of two or three years. There were cases where men needed loans for special purposes which could not be obtained on satisfactory terms through the ordmary channels of finance. Dealing with scholarships he stated that the scheme now working had been hurriedly formulated. At that time they were in the throes of the influenza epidemic, and there had been a little delay in carry--1 ing out the scheme. He thought the chairman right in suggesting an extensiou of the scheme. Land settlement was the most important and the most ! diil'cult question they had to deal with. He was not sure that the limit of £IOOO . to £1250 applied to bush lands only, and ! thought it had been extended to improved lands also. He wa3 of opinion that £IOOO should be allowed on im-

. proved land, and this would be an ade- ■ quate and liberal provision. Of course ; a man was not. restricted to the Sta,te. i A second mortgage could be effected out side provided the vendor was agreeable. A great many cases came under his notite in wnich the price ol land was tou high for a Boldier to avail himself of the Government scheme, and he did noL ! see how under present conditions the} ' could settle a reasonable body o! returned soldiers on the expensive land: of Taranaki. In other parts of New '. Zealand they were meeting with the , same experience. The average soldier looked for a farm of 1.10 acres, not 30 \ or 40 acres, and it was very difficult to see how this man was going to get asaist- , ance through existing Government legis- , lation. The policy of the association should be shaped to help the returned ' soldiers to get on the land. ; Mr Bellringer said he quite agreed \ that the loan policy should be dropped. ; The difficulty they wtere up against was how to sepnd the money in hand in the way for which it was raised.

The wishes of the donors were that the money should go to the men who Imr Buffered loss. Last year, he pointed out, they had only spent £3OOO of thencapital, but repayments totalled £I9BO, so that only about £II3G had been used out of the accumulated funds. Their funds had increased during the year by £ISOO, and they should do something to make a portion of this money available as definite grants to the men who had suffered some permanent injury. That was a policy which had his fullest sympathy. The people of Taranaki were looking to the association to do something in this direction. He wanted every man who needed help to receive it. They would have to amplify their policy, and Bpend directly a very much larger amount of their funds than in past years. Land settlement had become the business of the Repatriation Board, and in this connection the duties of the association were at an end. The great difficulty confronting those seeking to go pn the land was the high prices asked.

Produce had gone up and so had land, and the increased value was the result of the soldiers' sacrifice. It was not right that those men should be called upon to take on great financial burdens which would weigh lipon them for the rest of their lives. The Government would have to take the land and secure [justice to the men. With regard to loans, he thought they should assist men who were setting up in life. They could well apply some of their funds to that, and to the extension of scholarships. There would be eases where they could supplement what the Government were doing. They should, as far as possible, see that ample justice was done to every man who had fought for his country.

The chairman said that remits were sent to the Advisory Board by the various War Relief Associations for consideration, and in this way they influenced the land policy for soldiers. Mr. Stevenson said that, now the war was over, they had to take a different viewpoint. While the war was on they had to make investments, not knowing the extent of their liability. It was much to their credit that they ' had kept their funds liquid. With the loan policy, everything went well as ; long as they had funds to lend, but the weak point was that they ran out of : funds, lit injustice wti in luadisg i

money to men who returned early in the war, while now men who had beea right through the war would receive nothing in this way. There were nsaay in need of loans, and he was quite certain that he could bring in applications from his own district alone for £50,000. The association could do much good by continuing the £SOO basis. He thought it a great pity that the Government should pass measures debarring Taranaki men from the advantages of procuring farms in this district. The Government had only acquired two holdings, and these were freehold. One was a 30-cow liolding, and at the time it was purchased the ruling price for cows was. £ls. Yet the Government would only advance the soldier settler £SOO. He favored placing returned soldiers on leasehold. Every farmer who had started in Taranaki during the last 15 or 20 y)»rs had started an leasehold, and soldiers should be able to start in t!he same way. The Government always had ample security, and had nothing to fear. The smallest holding in his district was 30 to 40 cows, and, taking cows at £2O each, with buildings, etc., a man was absolutely debarred from reaping any benefit from the Government advances. The time had arrived when the Government should revise its system. The Act was not much good for soldiers on the richer land? of New Zealand. The Government lv>il complained for years of the trend of population to the cities, and yet they could not get assistance for these men, many of whom were physically fit and just as keen and desirous of making good as the average soldier. It was the duty of the Government to finance those men. It was going to cost money, but so did the war. All the soldiers were asking for were loans for five years, which would be paid back with interest. The Government, Which found money for the war, should find the money to settle returned soldiers, and they should be settled on the leasehold system. The chairman pointed out that the Repatriation Board had nothing to do With land settlement, which was in the hands of the Land Board.

Mr. Sage expressed the view that the* association should look to the future, tn the years to come they would have soldiers suffering from the effects of the War. A sum of money should be set aside to meet cases of this kind. The chairman said this would be considered when the association re-framed its policy. The motion was carried. The question of allowances to returned soldiers for clothes was discussed. The chairman said it had been decided, in necessitous cases, to allow up to £lO. A member thought the amount should not vary, and should be the same in all cases. The chairman moved that it be a recommendation to the new executive that a special grant or a weekly allowance be made to all permanently disabled soldiers. He urged that in such cases special consideration should be shown, even though a man may be in receipt of a pension and a living wage. He thought a straight-out grant would be better than a weekly allowance. The motion was carried.

Mention was made of widows who were unable to make ends meet with the Government pension. The chairman: We are assisting in cases of that kind at present. Reference was made by a member to the need for doing something for the soldier suffering from shell shock, and the chairman replied that these men would be included with the permanently disabled.

It was further decided to recommend for favorable consideration by the new executive the extension of scholarships on the lines suggested by the chairman. The chairman asked if the meeting would also adopt the recommendation that loans, except in special cases, be discontinued.

Mr. Atkinson said he would like to see that held over. If the recommendation was adopted there would be cropping up from time to time cases for which they could make no provision. There were certain men who would derive immense assistance from a small loan.

A member said that if they were not going to continue the loans of £SOO it would be as well to let the public know. The chairman thought they should take steps to let the returned soldiers know where they stood. While they cut out the £SOO they might be able to let out smaller amounts in special cases. By letting out large amounts they would be tying up too much of their funds. The question was: How far could they go? He did not say for a moment that special grants should not be made in certain cases.

Mr. Bellringer said that the time had arrived when they should adopt a definite policy, and there should be a pronouncement by the meeting as to whether they should continue the loan policy or not.

i Mr. Crump asked if the repayments by soldiers had reduced the amount out on loan to £14,000. The secretary: Yes. Mr. Atkinson held that they could go on for some time yet with loans up to £IOO There might be cases where £IOO would do a vast amount of good. Mr. Bellringer said he would favor the loan of sums not exceeding £IOO in specific circumstances. He moved in this direction. A member said it would appear to him that, with a capital of £53,000, they might lend money up to half that amount.

The chairman said he did not think he could support the motion. If it was carried they would have numerous applications, and when these were refused there would be dissatisfaction. A grant would meet the case just as well. The policy in future would have to be more liberal than in the past. He did not wish to curtail, hut extend, and considered that the best way was to give the soldier the money. A Hawera representative said that there were soldiers who preferred a loan to a grant. The motion was withdrawn.

The Hawera representative moved that j it be a recommendation to the incoming executive that the amount a local committee could grant be increased from £lO to £2O. Thn motion was lost. Mr. Atkinson moved a vote of appreciation to the finance and emergency committees. The •former had the funds in a real good state, and if the latter had any fault it consisted ia being too diffident. Votes of thanks were passed to the chairman, the secretary, the rehiring executive, the honorary solicitor (Mr. Crump), the Stratford Borough Council for the use of the Council Chambers, and tho press.

MEETING OP THE EXECUTIVE. A meeting of the executive was held after the annual meeting. Mr. Kirkwood was re-elected chairman for the ensuing year. In returning thanks and in assuring members that he would give his best attention & the %orj;,gf thg tsm&re,

i Mr. Kirkwood said he would not have taken it as a slight if some one else had been appointed. Mr. Crump was appointed treasurer, and the outgoing emergency committee was re-elected. The finance committee was also re-elected. The Patca Red Cross and Soldiers' Comforts Society forwarded £lO2 7s, balance of funds in hand, for use by the association. It was decided to thank the society. A number of applications for assistaate wore dealt with.