received grants from the Fund to supplement their small war pensions. It is known that some of them paid substantially for this; but the practice has been checked. All beneficiaries are now warned not to part with any money paid them fr the Fund, but to report any such demands to the Assistant Secretary.
5. Assistance has been given to beneficiaries in various ways besides contributing to their support. Sometimes medical attention has been secured for them and the Committee would like to place on record its appreciation of the co-operation of the Medical Officer in Charge of Harcourt Clinic and of other Government medical officers who have always readily given their time and help to cases referred to them by the Committee.
6. In another direction, the Committee always tries to assist applicants towards self-support. This is not always successful, but thanks are due to Mr. F. P. Franklin for aid so freely given in interviewing candidates and advertising on their behalf in an effort to place them in employment.
7. Our approximate expenditure in relief to beneficiaries is now about $240,000 per annum and we do not anticipate that it will increase appreciably, in fact the reverse may reasonably be expected. The Committee, therefore, feels that the time has now come when it should consider making the resources of the Fund available to the community as a whole in accordance with the provisions of Section 4(4) of the Ordinance, though we must be careful not to embark on any over-ambitious scheme.
8. The Committee desires to thank everyone who has contributed to the Fund by Subscribing, or has assisted in its administration. In particular it would like to mention the following:-
A. The Directors of the Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation for placing their Board Room at the Committee's disposal for meetings.
B. Messrs. Lowe, Bingham & Matthews, the Honorary Treasurers, for the very able manner in which they have kept the accounts and to Messrs. Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. for auditing them.
C. The Command Paymaster, Land Forces and the Ad- jutant, Hong Kong Defence Force for their co-operation in the exchange of information concerning applicants and dependants of their respective organisations.
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D. The District Commissioner, New Territories, and his staff for the very material assistance they have given by investigating cases in areas within their jurisdiction, by undertaking the monthly disbursement of cash allowances granted to those approved and for exercising general supervision on the Committee's behalf.
E. The "South China Morning Post" the "Hong Kong Telegraph", the "China Mail" and the "Sunday Herald" for gratuitously giving publicity to the Fund's financial needs and publishing from time to time the names of subscribers.
Appendix "B" contains a list of subscribers to the Fund up to the end of 1948. Any errors or omissions are regretted.
E. H. WILLIAMS, Chairman,
(on behalf of the Committee) 29.3.49.
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