DISABLED SOLDIERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 April 1920, Page 6

DISABLED SOLDIERS.

SCHEME FOR ASSISTANCE. CASES OP 20 TO 40 PER CENT. DISABILITY. I Reporting at yesterday's meeting of the Taranaki War lielief Association on the 1 proposal to grant assistance to permanently disabled soldiers with 20 per cent, to 40 per cent.' disability, tlie chairman I (Mr. W. P. Kirkwood), he had I gone into the question carefully, and the funds available for all purposes amounti ed to £24,000. Of this sum the com- ■ mitments to date in respect of cases of i 40 per cent, to 100 per cent, disability i amounted to about £7OOO. He proposed . that an allocation of £SOOO should be i made for cases of 20 to 40 per cent, dis- ■ ability, and allowing £2OOO for contin- : gencies, this would leave a balance of £IO,OOO with which to provide for Orphans and fatherless children, and also for a reserve fund. The chairman added that lie and the secretary had estimated that about £I3OO would be required to provide for 20 to 40 per cent, cases. His suggested allocation of £SOOO should be adequate for the purpose, but it might be advisable to reduce the suggested scale of payments if the members wanted a bigger reserve fund. He was personally opposed to a reserve fund of £IO,OOO, believing that £SOOO was quite large enough. His proposed scale of payments, with the amended scale it might be advisable to adopt, was as follows: Original scale. Amended Scale. 35 o/o £75 £SO 30 o/o £SO £4O 25 o/o £35 £25 20 o/o £2O £ls The suggested sum of £SOOO would probably be sufficient under the original scale, but under the amended scale it would -be more than sufficient. "I do not propose at this stage to make any allocation for orphans and fatherless children," added the chairman. He was of the opinion that the Association should pay out all claims for permanently disabled soldiers, and in the meantime endeavor to ascertain the number of orphans and fatherless children in Taranaki, and the number who, from their circumstances, would require assistance. He estimated that a sum equivalent to £SOOO would be sufficient for this purpose, leaving £SOOO for the reserve fund. After discussion it was decided not to ' fix any amount to -be allocated for men 1 with low grade disability until the next meeting, but in the meantime to advertise asking all men in receipt of pensions ■ to make applications for assistance. It was decided to fix the amount when it was seen what the response was to the advertisements.