NEW ZEALAND CONTRIBUTIONS

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 67, 19 March 1915, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND CONTRIBUTIONS

STATEMENT BY MINISTER. I WELLINGTON, thus day. The Hon. dames Alien. Minister for I Finance, was asked yesterday to state lexactlyI exactly what was proposed in regard to contributions to the Belgian Fund. "It is mot correct to isay that th-e rciso- . 1 rat ions passed by the conference run counteT Ho the advice of the Home (Jovemmeut." said Mr. Altai, all rive nroney sul<scril>ed here is to l>e sent tturough this Government. We shall rend iit to the High Commiei-Oonpj. with infstructiono that he i-s not to dispose of it except after consultation with the Secretary' fl f State for tits Colonies, {he object being to ensure that the money S'ubseribed shall Ik. devoted t-o the purposes for which it was intended —that it shall go to relieve the Belgians, and not to put food into the mou,ths of our en-pm-i'cK. The whole scheme is being worked out now. and I hope to he able to make the details -of it public in the course of a da-y or two. Generally, the proposal is that the (iovernment s hail I give a lump sum of £5000 every month ami a £ for II subsidy up to £5000 a month on ail voluntary subscriptions. This means that if £5000 per month m subscrllwd every month by the people of the Dominion tlhe Government vftl\ pay £10.000 a month. That meains a total of £15.000 a month from this ! country. The maximum (iovernment donation will be £120.000 a year, and it must be provided by taxation. We shall have to take this extra expenditure into consideration in our proposals j for exitra toxa/tion."