TARANAKI WAR RELIEF ASSOCIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 July 1919, Page 6

TARANAKI WAR RELIEF ASSOCIATION.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Taranaki WJar Relief Association was held at Stratford yesterday. Present: Messrs VV. P. Kirkwood, C. E. Bellringer, F. Mills, M. J. Creighton, J. 3. Tosland, F. W. Atkinspn, W. E. Fercival, E. A. Washer and J. Stevenson. A letter was received from the advisory board in reference to arrears, stating that a further £IOOO was required, the Taranaki Association's quota being £sl 13s 4d.—lt was decided to pay the quota. With regard to the convalescent home, it was s.tated that the special committee had asked for an extension of time in which to report.—Granted. Ths question of whether the association should pay debts incurred by a returned soldier, amounting to £SO, was considered. It was stated that the man had a family of four or five arid was a perfect wreck.—On the motion of Mr. Stevenson, it was decided to vote the £SO and leave the use to which the money" is put to the discretion of the New Plymouth committee. It was pointed out that the man had the right to go bankrupt, and that this might be the better courseThe following applications were dealt with:— Loan for furniture for North Taranaki man, £7s.—Granted. New Plymouth cases: Grant or loan of £2O to pay professional entrance fees.—Applicant to be referred to the Repatriation Board. Application for grant of £3o—Granted. The widow of a soldier applied for assistance. Her husband had, before his death, borrowed from the association £2OO to start in business. The amount owing to the association at the association at the time of his death was £162 10s. It was stated that the loan had been guaranteed, and after a good deal of discussion it was decided .to accept £IOO in full settlement, provided payment was made by September 2. Manaia case: Application for clothing allowance.—Granted.

County of Egmont: Application, I through Canterbury association, for. £loo—lt was stated that the man was fit and the application was refused. Loan of £7s.—Granted subject to satisfactory guarantees being given and the man getting married. Grant of £25 for fnrnitnre.—Granted. Hawcra cases: Application for grant for furniture.—lt was decided to give £2O. An application from another man for a similar amount was also granted. Stratford cases: Refund of £7 10s paid by the Auckland association to Taranaici man.—Granted. Refund of £3 paid by Te Kuiti association.—Granted. Loan of £75 for furniture—Granted. A discussion took place on the question of whether .the association should refund £52 to a guarantor was discussed, and it was decided, on- the motion of Mr. Stevenson, that no action be taken. GOVERNMENT LOAN CONDITIONS. The Wanganui association forwarded a capy of a resolution recommending the Government to remove the disability returned soldiers are now suffering from as a result of Government loan conditions, which deprived other creditors of the right to recover .through the civil courts.

Mr. Bellringer said that as matters now stood the Government, on making a loan to a soldier became possessed of everything he had. This had been done under the guise of protecting the soldier, but the effect was to deprive him of credit, for as long as he had a loan from the Government no one could proceed against him in the court and get judgment against him. Mr. Creighton said that the regulation. Instead of protecting the returned soldier, was damaging him. He cited a case in which a soldier had obtained a loan of £SOO to take up land, but could not avail himself of it because the conditions prevented him from getting other credit.

Mr- Atkinson said it was not safe, in ordinary eircumßtancDs, to give credit to a returned soldier who had been financed by the Government. It was decided to recommend an amendment of the conditions of Government loans. SECURITY FOR A LOAN. It was reported that a soldier who had asked for a loan of £75 over furniture had withdrawn his application on learning that the advice of the Honorary solicitor (Mr. Fookes) was that security for ,the loan must be taken over the whole of his furniture.—Members agreed that the conditions imposed were reasonable, and the chairman stated that he had offered to go with applicant to the solicitor and endeavor to arrange the matter on a basis satisfactory to Doth, but this offer was refused. Mr. Atkinson said they were prepared to deal wi.th any reasonable request, but apparently this man was not reasonable. GOVERNMENT'S LAND POLICY. The Commissioner of Crown Lands wrote in reference to the amount of Government loans to soldiers taking up land. The chairman said that on partly improved land ,the Government would grant up to £750, but £250 of that rested with the Minister, who could grant or refuse it. Mr. Atkinson said the Government had failed in its efforts to settle soldiers on the land, because they had not taken local conditions into consideration. In Taranaki for the paßt ten years the 6tepping-stone to the freehold had been the leasehold, and if the Government could see its way ,to grant a loan on ! leasehold it would be able to do a lot ! more for repatriation than it was doing at present. ,He understood that the Government would not make a grant for stock on leasehold. The conditions of Government grants at first sight look, ed very liberal, but they would riot bear examination, and it was stipulated .that the money must be on first mortgage. There was very little land in Taranaki that did not have one mortgage over i,t, and the soldiers were confined to the few farms that did not. He knew of a soldier who had been offered land at the. price it was worth four months ago. Land, as they knew, had increased in value in Taranaki during the past four months from £2O to £3O per acre. Because of the conditions governing Government loans the man could not take advantage of the offer. To do-so lie would have to find from, £SOOO to £BOOO to lift the present mortgages. He gave full details of the case. Mr. Creighton said he had been in communication with the Minister, who had that Government loans 1 on land were only granted on first: iMittitjr.; A lew ey« (tonic wm tmqw.

by bill of Bale or collateral mortgage, any distance removed. The chairman said that the conditions practically debarred soldiers from getting on the land in Taranaki. Mr. Atkinson moved that the Government be recommended to advance up to £IOOO for stock on leasehold property on a bill of sale over the stock and collateral security over the soldiers' interests in the land, or any other interests he mny have.—Carried. A resolution was passed recommending to the Department that the association be given the right to call for a medical examination of soldiers receiving relief, the association to pay the cost of the examination.

CARE OF THE INCAPACITATED. The Hawera Returned Soldiers' Association forwarded a copy of the following resolution: "That the War Relief Association be asked to convene a meeting of tncapac'ited men to meet the War Relief Association at Stratford at some near date with three delegates from each Returned Soldiers' Association in Taranaki, such delegates to be appointed by the respective Returned Soldiers' Associations, to go into the question of the welfare of incapacitated returned soldiers, the War Relief Association to tie requested to bear the expenses of incapacitated soldiers and delegates at the meeting, and, as General Richardson was reported to be visiting the district in the near future, the meeting be held during his visit if possible." It was intended that the definition of an incapacitated soldier shall include men who are partially blind or broken in health, as well as those who have lost limbs. The letter met with favorable consideration, and it was left with the chairman to call the meeting. Mr. Creighton said that similar meetings had been held in Auckland and Wellington. The idea was to get the whole of the men present under conditions which would ensure freedom of speech, and would place the association in possession of the whole of the circumstances relating to their cases. They wanted to assist the association in its endeavor to properly dispose of its funds, and obviate the necessity for the Government stepping in and taking over same. EXPENDITURE OF THE FUNDS.

The chairman moved that the following be the basis on which the funds controlled by the association will in future be administered: (1) Elimination of loans other than loans for furniture; (2) make straight-out grants for various purposes; (3) augment pensions; (4) supplement incomes; (5) make loans for furniture of £75 maximum, or, in lieu thereof, straight-out grants of a lesser sum; (6) to give such assistance by way of grant of weekly allowances as each individual case may merit after investigation. The chairman said they would have to eliminate loans. If they continued them they would be swamped, even if they limited them to £IOO. They had let out just on £IB,OOO. The Repatriation Board existed for the purpose of dealing with loans, and his opinion was that the association should assist with straight-out grants. Loans were adopted in the first place because they had money to invest, and they did not want it lying idle. In the interests of the men and the association they should cut out loans, except for furniture. Mr. Bcllringer seconded.

Mr. Atkinson moved that clause 1 should "be struck out, and tlmt in clause 5 the words "for furniture" be struck out. He moved this because he thought they should not close up any means by which they could help returned men. If they confined loans to furniture they would find that they would be prevented from assisting many deserving cases. Mr. Mills seconded the amendment. He said that exceptional cases were going to come before them, and it would be a pity if their hands were tied. Mr. Stevenson Baid that they had recognised the policy proposed ii> the motion. The success of the association had been due to the latitude allowed in dealing with applications. A man had applied that day for £75 for stocjc, and if the loans had been confined to furniture that application could not have been granted. The association had been guided by rules passed in the best school of all—that of practice. Ho did not see that they would derive any advantage from carrying the resolution. As for the old policy of large loans, he was opposed to it. The chairman said they -wanted to | wind up the association within a reasonable time, and this would be impossible if loans were to continue indefinitely. The Government was ready to step in and grab their funds if they were not i fepent within a reasonable time. He favored giving the men <i direct benefit. In regard to the loans on furniture, tliey were provided to assist the married men, and were never granted to single men. Further, it was never intended to give a man £75 unless he really needed it for furniture. Cases had occurred in which the money had been obtained ostensibly for furniture, but really for other purposes. The Stratford Committee liad already had numerous applications for small loans for other purposes, but liad turned them all down. Mr. Atkinson said that there would be many eases in which the association would have to inflict hardships if tliey could not lend moriey outside furniture. Mr. Creighton said that the work of the association had only commenced, and it would be eight or nine years before many cases which would need assistance would develop. The Chairman said there was no question in his mind as to what would become of the funds if the association was was found holding a large amount in a few years' time. The Government was ready to step in. Mr. Bellringer sadi tliey had to deal with present circumstances, but if the money was not spent in two years the Government would probably step in. He did not favor anything in the way of a loan policy, and would support direct grants. The amendment was lost, only three voting for it, and the motion was ear- • ried. GRANTING OF SCHOLARSHIPS. The chairman said he thought the association should grant a further six scholarships similar to those already , granted, and that, if necessary, tliey should pay the whole of the fees, and that the scholarships should be available for other schools besides New Plymouth—Wellington, for instance. The New Plymouth High School Board had intimated that it could not take any more pupils at reduced fees. Consideration was held over for a fu:ture meeting. It was pointed out that there was no need for haste, as those receiving the scholarship would not-need them till the beginning.of a term. GENERAL. The chairman moved that in icases where loans are miule for furniture to married men, no loan shall be made • where there has been a grant, unless spe,cial reasons are disclosed.—Carried. In r«ply tb.Mr. .StereasrajJi^gjgp^

man stated that the grant made for clothes was not a right, and was only supposed to be given where it was needed. Mr. Stevenson said that in his district it was regarded as a right, and he would not like to say how many thousands a man had who had recently made an application. He thought that in all cases where a man had given a portion of his allotment to dependents a sum of £lO should be granted, especially as clothes had risen so much in price. It was decided to leave matters as they stood.