EMPIRE. DEFENCE FUND.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 169, 22 August 1914, Page 10

EMPIRE. DEFENCE FUND.

The following subscriptions have been received: —• IV. Roberts 2 10 0 C. H. Overton .. .. .. 1 0 0 WAR PARAGRAPHS. Mr W. F. Tracey, M.A., of Canterbury College, is in camp at Dunedin, holding a lieutenancy in the Expeditionary Force. '' „ j . - The Okain's Bay Dairy Company has decided to send the .first ton of cheese manufactured this year Home for distribution among, those in distress owLag to the war. ' . In reply to a telegram from ; the chairman of the Canterbury, branch, of the Civil" Servants' Association,, .the Public Service Commissioner has a half-holiday to all Goverament officials, including those of the Customs . Department, pn Monday, ; in connection with the patriotic ■ demonstration.

A meeting of the Christ.churcli branch of the Overseas Club was . .tc have been held in the St. John Ambulance rooms last evening for the...purpose, primarily, of Arranging for tlic club to be represented in some way . ir the patriotic demonstration on Monday. The meeting lapsed, however, then? being but three members of the club and three newspaper representative.; present. . At the meeting of the City and Suburban Grocers' Association, held on Wednesday, it was decided to close places of business from noon on Kois- > day. • The Salvation Army in Christchureh will hold a musical evening in its Citadel on Monday evening, and will give the proceeds to. the Canterbury Patriotic Provident Fund. Selee.txoit? will-be played by the four Army Bands. Sixpence per head will be charged ;ifror admission.

On Friday afternoon the' staff of Messrs N'eiil and Co. made presentations to two of their fellow-members, Licttt. Ffitch and Signaller Chapman, who have both been selected for the Expeditionary Force. There has been a splendid response to the request made through the newspapers for periodicals for the Addingtoa Camp, Eipa Island, and the Garrison, at Lyttelton, by the C.E.M.S. and Young Men's Christian Association. So many packages were received without nanies that it is impossible to acknowledge all of them with accuracy, and it is therefore hoped that the friends who have responded so thoroughly will accept the appreciation of the committee and tlie thanks of the men, which' was shown by a hearty vote the other evening. " Westport's first contribution of a thousand pounds to the Expeditionary Force fund Ikls been forwarded to Wellington. Reporting to the local executive of the Poor of Great Britain and Ireland Fund, Mr Duncan Rutherford states that at a meeting at Hanmer, a sum .of £3O was collected in the room, and a committee was set up to make arrangements for various sports meetings to raise funds. At Culverden £i:!0 in cash y as subscribed, in addition to a truck of fat cattle, one and a-half trucks of fat sheep, thevproduce of 150 acres of wheat several pigs, and three bales of wool. The ladies of Culverden are collecting material and sewing. Representative residents are convening meetings in other North Canterbury centres to assist the movement. Wanganui contributions to the Wat Fund are now well over £4OOO, in addition to horses, motor waggons, and cars; also much produce. —Press Association.

The sum of £lO 11/6 has been collected by members of the Lytteltoa Railway Casual Wharf Labourers 1 Union, and has been forwarded to the Kail way Department towards the expenses of the Railway Corps Expeditionary Fund.

Mr J. B. Merrett has informed the Defence Department that the Canter-

hiirv, Ashburton, Waimate, ancl Timaru Egg Circles have each given 100 dozen eggs for the troops in camp. Three hundred and twenty-five dozen were delivered to the camp yesterday, and Sunday morning's breakfast "will consist largely of boiled, fried, and poached e s«' s - The Tramway Board is providing a striking tableau for Monday's procession.

Miss Thurston acknowledges the following additional subscriptions to the Ambulance Equipment Fund: —-J t F. Lowers, a Friend, 10/-; per Miss Roclifort, £1 5/6; Miss McFarlane, llyyvkeswood, £l. Mr .T. Bell acknowledges the receipt of the following by the Farmers' Union: —C. 11. Ensor (White Rock) £25, 11. Stuart (Middleton) £5 5/-, G. Scarlett (Springston) £:>, .J. Waller (Rangiora) £1 10/-. Also donations of potatoes from Southbridge: H. Galpin 10 sacks, P. O'Bovie 10 sacks, Baxter's Estate, 7 sacks,. G. Bray, 5 sacks. Colonel C. J. Cooper wishes to acknowledge gifts of tobacco, cigars, and cigarettes from the following donors, for the troops in camp at Lyttelton: Major W. Barnett, Mr E. H. James, Mr 3<], D. Morris, Fletcher, Humphreys and Co., Occidental Hotel, M'Arthur Morten, Mr R. Williams, Mr P. Holmes, Mr J. Smith, Mr H. White, Bell Bros., Mr €. Jones, Adams Ltd. Books and magazines have been received from Mr Harold Pitcaithly. The thoroughbred horse ' 'Pete," donated by Mr Harry Field to the Coast Defence troops, has been presented by them to Captain D. Blaily the adjutant of the Mounted Branch of the Expeditionary Force. Members of the Veterans' Association will meet at their rooms at 1 p.m. or. Monday for the purpose of taking part in the demonstration. .j The employees of the City Council employed on" the high-pressure water supply have decided to contribute one shilling per week to the War Fund "while the Avar lasts.

Mr A. J. Goodstein has forwarded a pir of field glasses to the Mayor, for the. Expeditionary Force.. ;t Avas reported in yesterday's issue that £IOO 'liau been given to the Expeditionary Equipment Fund by the (Canterbury (N.Z.) Seed Company. THE SUN" is noAv asked "to state the amount AAas made up as folloA\ T s:—N.Z. Farmers' Co-op., £10; J. Montgomery and Co., £10; Wood Bros., £10; Kaye and Carter, £5; Skelton, and Co., £5; J. R. Belcher (Papanui), £10; J. A. Redpath and Sons, £10; W. Moir and Co., £5; A. J. Tutton, £2; B. C. Jacobs (Lecston), £2 2/-; Anonymous, £10; Field and Royds, £lO 9/-; Canterbury (N.Z.) Seed Co., £lO 9/-; total, £IOO.

Yesterday the Defence Department in Christchurcli received orders to enrol fifteen more men for the Canterbury portion of the Expeditionary Force. *A large number of applicants presented themselves for enrolment, an«L a much -larger number than were required, were passed .by the medical officers. These were, sent to the camp this morning, but as the Regiment is bow over strength, it is possible.a certain amount of weeding-out will be done. •

Ross and Glendining have given £3OOO to the Patriotic Fund, 'conditional on it Tieing utilised for the relief of the unemployed. The amount is to be allor «ated among the.firm's many branches. —Press Association. NAVAL FINANCE. COST OF WORLD NAVIES. A White Paper issued recently shows the naval expehditure of the eight principal naval Powers during each of the last ten years. The total for the cuiwmt year is £170,682,000, an increase cf £65,284,000 over the total of 1904. A more instructive comparison may be wade tyy taking the expenditure of 1906-7. The British estimates for that year were the first for which the Liberal Government was responsible, and the first Dreadnought, a legacy; from the Bqjfour Government, was launched in February, 1906. Thus the year 1906 was the beginning of a new period. A process of reduction begun under Mr Balfour, was carried further, under Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, and in 1907-8 the naval expenditure was cut down to £32,736,000. Next year it "began to mount, and during each succeeding year from 1910-11 it has. soared above all j>revious records. The following table shows the naval outlay of the «ight Powers in 1913-14, and 1906-7 to the nearest £IOOO, including appropriations in aid and expenditure put «f loans, but not including interest paid on loans: —

The numbers of personnel of -the various navies for the present year are as follow: —Britain 140,000, France 63,5i>6, Russia 52,403, Germany 73,1.76, Italy 37,095, Austria-Hungary 19,091, United States <37,097, Japuu (1912) 53,054. There has been plenty of "progress" during the last eight years.

WELL DONE, THE FARMERS. To the Editor of THE SUN. Sir,-— May I ask for space in your columns to express my gratitude on behalf of the Defence>Departinent of this district for the most generous and ready response given us by" the members of the Canterbury Farmers' Union. The gathering together of sufficient fodder to feed over 700 horses for six weeks and the stowing away of a considerable number of reserve forage rations on each ship is no easy task. The labours of this Department .'halve been greatly relieved, and the Dominion has been saved something like £ISOO, thanks to

these generous and patriotic gentlemen. The Farmers' Union has undertaken "to provide the Canterbury Contingent "with the following quantities:—Oats, J(35 tons; chaff 230 tons; hay 11 tons; bran 19 tons; potatoes 20 tons. There are many other kind donors that have been sending in small and large quantities of forage and other articles whose thoughtfulness and kindness is d'ulv appreciated.—l am, etc., " COLONEL R, A. CHAFFEY, Commanding Canterbury District.

1906-07. 1913-14. Increase. <Grcat .£ £ £ Britain 34,600,000 47,022,000 12,422,000 Franee 12,240,000 20,848,000 8,602,000 Russia 12,490,000 ■ 24,249,000 11,759,000 <Jerm»ny 12,005,000 23,039,000 11,034,000 Italy 5,322,000 : 10,158,000 4,836,000 iAirstriaHnngary 2,398,000 6,006,000 3,608,000 United • States 21,35ft,000 29,499,000 8,141,000 Japan 6,311,000 9,861,000 3,550,000 106,730,000 170,682,000 63,952,000 - The amounts vote«l for new construction, including armament, are as follow: —- 1906-7. 1913-14. Increase. Ureal £ £ £ Britain 10,859,000 16,102,000 5,243.000 France 4,052,000 8,893,000 4,241,000 Russia 4,577,000 11,845,000 7,268,000 Germany 5,167,000 11,011,000 5,844,000 Italy 1,362,000 — — AustriaHungary' 1,012,000 3,285,000 2,273,000 United States 6,776,000 7,259,000 483,000 Japan 768,000 3,551,000 2,783,000 The amount of new construction (tonjiago, when completed, of 1 vessels launched during each year) is only available down to 1912. Here it is:— 190G-07 . 1912-13. Increase. Tons. Tons. Tons. Great Britain 83,260 113,647 29,787 France . . 19,338 55,77(5 36,438 Iinssia . . 914 80,800 79,946 Ccrmany .. i 53,180 69,400 ■16,220 Italy-... .. 10,016 57,051 41,035 Aiistria-H'gary 2,233 49,209 47,036 United States 37,283 91,477 54,194 Japan . . 39,870 55,081 15,2J 1