HELPING DISABLED SOLDIERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1920, Page 4

HELPING DISABLED SOLDIERS.

The annual report and balance-sheet of the Taranaki Provincial War Relief Association, which was presented at the recent meeting at Stratford, shows that a large sum of money ivas spent (hiring the year in relief granted to sick and wounded soldiers and dependents. The funds at the disposal of the Association consisted of £53,498 brought forward from the previous year, supplemented by £3471 received during the year, while the grants amounted to £31,512 a:ul the total expenses to £7lO. At the close of tilie year the assets amounted to £32,125 less bank overdraft and outstanding cheques £7337 and other liabilities amounting to £4l, so that there is left for future use £24,747 and any revenue that may come to hand. The Association dealt with a thousand cases, all of which were closely and carefully investigated, under a scheme of its own, but whether that scheme is satisfactory remains to be seen. That it will speedily extinguish the fund is apparent, and this is emphasised by the statement of the chairman that he considers a reserve of £SOOO will amply suffice for eases cropping up from time to time. The accuracy of that view is open to question. There are many cases in which men who have been gassed, or are suffering from shell shock of wounds, who are at present making a brave struggle to earn a livelihood, but who are liable to break down at any time. These men—and others—have just as good a claim on the funds of tiie Association as many of those who have received grants, yet they are too proud and too self-dependent to seek for aid unless as a filial resource. Some of those men have been and are receiving small pensions—scandalously' small in' certain cases—but are not fit for earning a living. If the Association considers the Government is to be wholly responsible for the welfare of this class, who may become in the near future permanently disabled, .then the chairman's view may be accepted, but it will be a bad lookout for the men so treated. Bearing in mind the spirit -n which the money was contributed to the Association by the public, it would seem that at least ten or fifteen thousand pounds should be reserved, but there appears to be an impression that the Government may seize the funds, and that it would be better to vote the money away as' soon as possible so that it might escape the hands of the Philistines. It is unthinkable that any Government would lay hands on money sac-: red to the sick and disabled soldiers, but there is 110 doubt that fear exists, yet the risk of conserving the funds is justifiable and patriotic. Tlhe care and relief of those who fought for the safety of the Dominion and the Empire canno* wholly be trusted to the State. The Association has done splendid work in the past, and has dealt with the bulk of the cases for whom the money was intended, but there will be work for the future, and care should be tak4n to avoid undue haste in closing down or reducing the funds injudiciously.