A great deal of difficulty has been experienced in settling estates of soldiers believed to have lost their lives on active service, especially in securing payment of moneys due under insurance policies.
This applies to the very large number of men reported missing and believed to be dead. The Defence Minister, in a statement today, said these delays had been caused by the Defence Department being unable to say that a missing soldier was actually dead.
When men were reported missing a time was allowed to elapse. Then a Board of Inquiry sat in Egypt, and if the evidence presented justified the conclusion it declared that the soldier was dead. Legal opinion had been taken, and it was not considered possible for the Defence Department to give a definite certificate of death.
Recently, however, the matter had been reconsidered, and the Defence Department would now issue a definite certificate of death in the case of every man reported missing and believed to be dead.
This arrangement would apply specially to cases of men lost in Gallipoli, and about whose death there could be no doubt after the lapse of a considerable time. The position would be rather different on the western front.
The fact of a man's disappearance there could not be accepted as conclusive evidence of his death. It might be that a man had been taken prisoner, or that he had deserted. The new ruling would affect the estates of some 700 soldiers.
•In the annual report submitted to the Presbytery in connection with St. Margaret's College it was shown that the accommodation was quite inadequate. Some time ago it was decided by the council if possible, to commence additions to the building with the object of completing the whole of the original plan.
An appeal was made, but the need did not seem to be fully grasped till the report was issued. The result has been surprising, already quite a number of donations having been forwarded, but among them one for not less than 1000, two of 500 each, and one of 200.
The college at present accommodates 43 students, and is fully occupied. The completed college will accommodate 70. We are informed that among the students now in residence are representatives of all the leading Christian denominations.
The institution is quite undenominational, and the majority of the residents are students of the Training College and University. No fewer than 10 are medical students.
It is hoped that with the example shown in the way of handsome donations the desires of the council will soon find fruition in the completed building.
•On Saturday members of the Hospital Board and members of the honorary medical staff will confer with the Hon. G. W. Russell (Minister of Internal Affairs), and Dr Valintine (Inspector-general of Hospitals) on the question of the construction of a secondary hospital on land acquired at Wakari.
The Hospital Committee has already recommended that authority be granted to invite alternative tenders (in brick and wood) for the proposed new infectious diseases hospital, and this recommendation will come before the board at its meeting this evening.
The conference referred to will decide on the plans to be adopted, and will also consider the very important point whether the new hospital shall be solely used for the accommodation of infectious cases, or whether provision shall also be made for patients suffering from consumption.
At the present time a number of consumptives are accommodated in shelters at the Dunedin Hospital.
- ODT, 15.6.1916
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