TARANAKI WAR RELIEF ASSOCIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 December 1919, Page 3

TARANAKI WAR RELIEF ASSOCIATION.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Taranaki War | Relief Associatlpn was held yesterday. J'resent: Messrs. W. P. Kirlcwood (chairman), Atkinson' (North Taranaki), E. H. Young (R.SA.), C. | Stevenson (Manaia), F. Mills (Hawera), C. E. Bellringer (New Plymouth) , and D Tosland (County of Egmont). Mr. Percival was unable to attend as the medical examination of permanently disabled men was proceeding at Inglewood. ' It was repotted that no further applications had' been received for scholarships, and the question was raised as to Whether a scholarj ship should Include hoarding allowances. I Mr. Bellringer said he had never understood ■ tho scholarships in any other sense. It was decided to grant a boarding allowance in the case of an application before the meeting. A permanently disabled soldier wrote complaining of the unfairness of treating his disability on a 25 pffr cent, basis.—lt was decided to write pointing out that the Association had to be guided by tho medical report, but the soldier could, if dissatisfied, apply for Te-examinarion later on. A grant of £25 for blankets, I 1 -mi, and cot for a child was made to tho We of a solclfer suffering from tuberculosis. An allowance of £1 Is 6d to a soldier's dependent was continued for three months. The name of Dr. McCallum, of Inglewood, was included in the lis# of doctors appointed to examine permanently disabled soldiers. An application was made for a grant of £3O, to be paid in quarterly instalments, to the wife of a returned soldier. Mr. Stevenson said the man was working on a farm and was receiving £2 10s and found himself. This was a ridiculous wage, and the pian could get 13s or 14s a day anywhere. It seemed to him that by making the grant asked for they would be assisting the employer and not the soldier. The chairman said that even if they granted tho £3O the man would still be in an unsatisfactory position. The man had a wife' and four children, and if they compiled with the request thero would be no end to it. The matter was referred back to the County of Egmont Committee for further consideration, on the suggestion of Mr. Tosland, who had introduced tho matter, and who agreed to obtain full particulars. Keports were» received from two doctors who had examined separately a permanently disabled soldier. One set down the disability at 331-3 per cent, permanent, and the other set it down as 100 per rent, at present. What it would be in the future the latter could not wiy.

The chairman said there was a Dig discrepancy. They could not pay on a presont disability. The best way would be to liavo tho man examined later by a board of two doctors, who would act together. He would move that tho man bo examinod by two doctors three months hence. This was carried. The secretary pointed out that the doctor who hare tho disability at 100 per cent, had not been appointed by the Association. It was decided to appoint Dr. Cooper to work l ln conjunction with Dr. Lceper in examina- ' ing disabled men at Elthnm,

A sum of about £I4OO was voted to permanently disab?< i soldiers, the disability being In flro cases 80 per cent., In ono 100 per cent., and in another CO per cent. In regard to a permanently disabled man In Hattera, it was reported that the case was a moat difficult one to deal with because of tho Independent spirit of the man. Tho doctors had difficulty In bringing tho man bacll I to l»ow Zealand alive, and though his conaition demanded assistance, it was most difll,J n^ uce hi** l to put in an application. « p - MiUs said that he had told the man that if he did not file his application tor the permanently disabled grant at tho office ho would have to call upon him personally and see that ho did it Tho man, to save him (Mr. Mills) trouble, did so, but called the next day and withdrew it. Tho man had not yet been medically examined. The secretary reported a bank lulance on the 6th inst of £1430 14s. Tho receipts for tho month totalled £3443 3s, includ'iur debenture proceeds £2OOO, and withdrawal from the Post Offlvo Savings Bank, plus intercst, £1287 14s 9d.

The next meeting was flrcd fot January 1 .v Ji. i nns decided to close the office for the ChrtaMnas holidays between December 24 and January G. , The secretary, in reply to a Question, said that with the amounts passed at the meeting, about £.OOO had been paid out to permanently disabled imm tn data Mr. Jloilringer said they had probably dealt with about half or the permanently disabled men, #i F!5 e said he would say about ono- ! : f e ,V ? eaU wi,i1 ' bm 111086 dealt wil l were chiefly from 80 to 100 per cent men which would not be the enso with tbe remainder, none of whom would be on a loner percentage basis. The secretary said that tlio fund now stood At Approximately £35,000. The chairman said that as this was tho last meeting for the year he would wish all *iio members the coiiiplimont3 of tho season lhe members thanked Mr. Kirkwood and tho meeting terminated.