Financial Help Given Soldiers' Dependents

Taranaki Daily News, 31 August 1942, Page 2

Financial Help Given Soldiers' Dependents

Press Assn.

Christchurch, Aug. 29. ,

Applications totalling 12,445 had been received by the Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board up to July 31, said the Minister in charge of solaiers' financial assistance, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, yesterday, when releasing the latest figures covering the board's operations. The total commitnvents of the board up -to . the same date reached £159,572 11s Id. Mr. Armstrong said the board's com- .. . mitments indicated that the applications were given generous consideration, to say the least. Applications were received from men in the three services for their dependents, and there was a maximum grant of £3 a week. He emphasised that the payments made by the board were straight out gifts, with no obligation for repayment. With every grqup of men going into eamp an increasing number of applications was received, a position that was understandable in view of the fact that the men now being called up v/ere men with greater commitments and greater family responsibilitisa than many of those called up previously. The board had been set up early ih" the war, but its operations on a major scale had only started in the last year or so. said Mr. Armstrong. An interesting point was that every meniber of the board was a returned soldier. In making the grants the board's object was to leave a man's dependents in a position as near as possible to that in which they lived hefore the man went into camp. It seemed that assistance was sought ririh- _ cipally to meet rent payments. There were "many cases where wives, but for assistance from the board, would have to give ud their homes to live with relatives. With assistance from the board they were able to keeo their homes going for the day when their husbands returned. The Minister said that from what he knew of its work the board was a verv fine institution and he had heard very few complaints.