H—22a

Expending Agents, England, Australia, and Cairo These expending agents are provided with funds for the purpose of assisting New Zealand ex-servicemen in the respective countries. Policy The following policy of expenditure, which is intended to secure co-ordination of effort and uniformity of procedure between this Board, the Canteen Fund Board, and the Provincial Patriotic Councils, has been adopted by the Board : (1) That care be taken not to lay down any rigid rules as to assistance that may be granted. (2) That no time-limit be fixed for the expenditure of the funds except that they be expended in the lifetime of the discharged servicemen of the 1939-45 war. An actuarial investigation of all funds to be made immediately, and every three years thereafter. (3) That as many welfare committees as practicable be set up by the Provincial Patriotic Councils and that service organizations be requested to send cases for relief to those committees ; and, further, that the Welfare Committees and service organizations be asked to act on cases as early as possible without waiting until the need has become acute. (4) That moneys allocated in pursuance of clause (8) be expended to the individual through the same local channels, providing all Welfare Committees throughout the Dominion include in their membership representatives of the ex-service organizations as mentioned in the Act which may be constituted in their district, and who shall be nominated by the organizations concerned. (5) That shortness of service shall not debar an applicant from receiving assistance, and that the paramount consideration in granting assistance shall be the need of the applicant. (6) That cases be investigated on the basis of granting complete assistance rather than temporary relief. (7) That to achieve uniformity throughout the Dominion, assistance to any individual shall be — From local Welfare Committees, not more than £5O in any one year ; From Provincial Patriotic Councils, at the discretion of the Council, — but it is recommended to Provincial Councils that, in order to obtain uniformity, they refer any application exceeding £lOO to an individual to the combined Welfare Committee of the New Zealand Patriotic Fund Board and the Canteen Fund Board for reimbursement in approved cases. (8) That, in connection with individual relief, the funds of both the New Zealand Patriotic Fund Board and the Canteen Fund Board be spent pro rata, according to the amount allocated by each Board, subject to clause (4). (9) That all Welfare Committees be visited and the full policy explained to them. (10) That Provincial Patriotic Councils be recommended to provide adequate liaison between the service organizations who are administering their own funds and local welfare organizations. Welfare Conference A conference between Provincial Welfare Committees and the Board was held during the year with a view to obtaining uniformity of procedure and to prevent overlapping, as well as to ensure that ex-servicemen will receive equality of treatment irrespective of where they reside or enlisted.

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