PERMANENTLY DISABLED SOLDIERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1919, Page 3

PERMANENTLY DISABLED SOLDIERS.

FIRST ALLOTMENT £IO,OOO. At the meeting of the Taranaki War Belief Association yesterday, a discussion lok place on the question of what amount should be allotted to permanently disabled soldiers. _Mr. Kirkwood, for the Finance Committee, reported that the committee, after having gone into figures, recommended that a sum of £IO.OOO be earmarked as a first instalment of the amount to be paid out to permanently, and partially disabled soldiers. Between now and December, £10,825 would be coming in, so that the recommendation could be carried out without the need for financing. It was not proposed that the allocation should be final, and at a later stage they could go int(, the question of making a further allocation. He did not think there were more than 100 permanently and partially disabled soldiers in Taranaki, and taking the average grant at £IOO that would clean up the £IO,OOO. In cases where a man had lost a limb or an eye, and the disablement was quite apparent, the executive fcould pay out immediately, provided the maximum was fixed upon at that meeting. If they decided that the maximum should be £2OO for a man who had lost a leg or an eye, they would pay the amount. To his mind they could never say the last word to permanently disabled soldiers as long as they had a farthing in the Association. They would, of course, continue to meet other necessitous casesMr. Atkinson: What is the total amount of the Association's funds.

% The secretary replied that they had about £49,000. The figures were based on the assumption that they realised on their war loan certificates, and were irrespective of the amounts in the hands of local committees. They did not include accrued interest on "fixed investments The war loan certificates were worth £II,OOO. This was the actual face value. The accrued intereft on loans to soldiers was not included. The amount on loan to soldiers was about £14,000. Mr. Atkinson: We have then about £;ia,ooo in gilt-edged securities and cash ? The secretary: Ye?. Mr. Atkinson said that after an allotment of £IO,OOO they would still have £25,000 invested in gilt-edged securities. What ho wanted to get at was the amount that could safely be allocated to the permanently disabled soldiers' fund. If the £25,000, loans to soldiers were omitted, and what proportion of the amount, he asked, could be ear-marked for permanently disabled soldiers? The chairman said this information could not be given at the present stage. They might be able to allocate a considerable portion of their funds, but in limiting the. first allocation to £IO,OOO they were taking a wise precaution. Tie could see no advantage in saying that they would ultiinatr-lv earmark £20.000 or £30,000. He had hoped that they would be able to fix: the maximum that day, but he thought they should wait for a full meeting, mid until they had the returned soldiers' representative prc.-nnt. Mr. Bellritigor said that, he had in his mind the fixing- of the maximum at £20.000, but he recognised that they should go cautiously While he wa\ quite prepared to stand by the recommendation, he thought they should fry and get some idea, if only' a hazy one, of the final amount that would be allocated. Some of the men who needed help most might not live very long. Severe eases should receive first consideration, and some idea of the maximum grant should he given. There was a keen desire, which almost amounted to impatience, on the part of the permanently disabled soldiers f:o know what the Association was jroing to do for them, and by delay there were onlv fostering this impatience. The Association should show that flier were in earnest. Though very loath to do so he would agree to postponement for a month.

Mr. Tosiand, in supporting the motion, sdid that as soon as ihoy commenced to operate on the fund applications would come in and they would soon know where thev stood.' Ho regretted tlii> absence of the representative of the .R-S.A., who was aware that this question would eome nn for discission. Mr. Snsre asked if the secretary could say whether the estimate that the permanently disabled soldiers numbered 100 was correct.

The secretary said Ihat the number stated in the returns to hand' was 102 The chairman said that if the number was l 100 they could fix the maximum at £2OO. as some cases wpre not serious. Mr. Sage pointed out that the expenditure in casual cases was not likely to be nearly so high in the future as during the past three years, and thev were likely to have a verv larje. portion o f the £35,000 for permanently disabled men-

Mr. Stoven?on considered that a .schedule should lie prenarcd showing the classification of (bo men who were to benefit from the fund. They should exercise caution until they knew the extent of their liabilities. Tf thev made the maximum £3OO thev may find on winding up the fund that some poor fellow, from pride or some other cause. had been overlooked. ITp favored the adoption of the committee's recommendation Tt would be a. safe policy to make the maximum at present £IOO. and in six, or even three, months time after they learned the total number of disabled men they could make another allotment. Tliey could safely set aside £IO.OOO, but to make a large' allocation might, be dangerous. Necessitous cases would be cropping up from day to day, and these, would have to be met as ilong as the Association evistcd. The chairman moved that a. first allocation of £IO,OOO be made to the permanently disabled soldiers' fund. Mr. Tosiand seconded.

Mr. Pereival said if they set aside £30,000 it would only give an average of ( M-"> 0 each.

The chairman: But that would not bo the maxijinim. Mr. Bcllringer said the maximum would only he given in serious cases' and lie took it that there .would not lie more than about 20 of these in the whole district. He thought that by allocating ,€30.000 for permanently disabled soldiers the £20,000 remaining would be ample for other necessitous cases. The motion was carried. Mr. Atkinson moved that the maximum grant be £3OO. Mr. Bcllringer seconded the motion.

After further discussion it was agreed that the maximum should be £250. ft was decided that all cases be dealt with on their merits, [and that the bases be 100 to 40 per cent, as per schedule of the War Pensions' Act; further that the cases not provided for in the schedule be considered after receiving medical advice. The secretary was instructed to send ■ copy of the schedule to all local com'

mitte.es who are to be asked to make recommendations, and to furnish as soon as possible, a complete list of permanently disabled men in their districts. All applications must be made through it local committee, and must be accompanied by a recommendation. The secretary was asked to make inquiries as to the towns in which a particular number of annuities could be bought. Mr. Washer said he had been requested to ask what hod become of the Y.MC.A. tickets .sent to soldiers just before the war ended and therefore not tised. Mr. Bellringer said these eonld be cashed at the Y.M.C A. headquarters in New Zealand. ' '