NOT BEING DIVERTED.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 156, 1 July 1916, Page 6

NOT BEING DIVERTED.

THE PATBIOTIC FUNDS. STRICTLY DEVOTED TO AUTHORISED PURPOSES. v THE MAYOR'S STATEMENT. I' i i The fact that the Auckland patriotic Association's L&cvutivu Committee at its ( last meeting had before it several appu , cations lor grants wiiicli were iiot at-1 1 ceded to by the meeting, was referred to t by the president (.Mr. o. l-i. liuiisou) m. tiie course of a statement tliU morning 1 on the policy whieli is being pursued by , the Assouiatiou. i •'There seems to be some misconception abroad to tiie effect that the Association, from the wounded and soldiers' re-. pendents' fund, has been making grants, iiy way of otiioers' kit allowances and. other articles contributing to thy coni-j fort and enjoyment of the nicu >n i camp," sa«l the Mayor. "This is quite j a misconception, and 1 desire to say, on' ; behalf of the Association's administration that not a single vote of any kind has been made other than in strict accordance with the terms upon which the money is held." WOUNDED FUND INTACT. "For instance, the large provincial, fund of upwards of j::!4o.Uu(> is purely ■ a fund for the sick and wounded soldiers aJid nurses of the New Zealand, forces, and for the dependents of those j who have been killed or have died on! service. This fund is administered by the Auckland Claims Hoard and the nineteen branches throughout the province, and not one single penny has been paid away for any other purpose. The Auckland Patriotic Association exeeu- ] tire has under its control a second or subsidiary fund which, in August last, at time of the amalgamation of the old fund with the new. amounted to £20,----000. This money was collected in the early months of the war for certain spejcinc." purposes, and in connection with I many of the larger donations written I conditions were attached limiting the expenditure of the money to these purposes, which are defined in the minute j book of that time as follows: 'To assist j the Government in the defence of the i ! country and for mitiga , .g the loss and, j suffering inseparable from a state of I war, the fund to be applied at the dieIcretion of the committee.' Out of the ! original fund, in the first place, the I troops at Epsom were largely equipped. I £3.000 being sent to the Government for I this purpose, and in other directions ,-otcs were similarly applied. The terms ipon wWeh this fund is held has not ■hanged." FROM THE SUBSIDIARY FTND. During the last nine months the Auckland Patriotic Association has vote-] C2SO for officers' kit equipment by -way r>f subsidises the Government allowance. Tiie whole evidence showed that the officers were not in possesion of that equipment which was not only desirable on the grounds of efficiency, but absolutely necessary. Various other votes. such'as assistance to the bands of the reinforcements and the subsidising of ofcher efforts for the Vtter equipment of the men in various ways, have been authorised. "However, since the Dominion Advisory Board ha-s been established, in order to prevent overlapping, and to RCCUiv uniformity in connection with this phase of the work, the oucstion was referred to that body, which in due course met the Minister for Defence. Tt wag then decided that in the matter of officers' kit allowance the C.overnment should be renuested to provide everything reasonably necessary to complete an officer's kit at the time of embarkation. "Tn regard to other applications, for frramophone-;. etc.. the committee ha* derided that there is nn ground. in view of the recent votes it has made to several institution? controlling this phase of work ea.terinc for the enioyment of the men. foi making further grants and. therefore th"?e nnd similar apnlirationr 'lav? beer declined. Xot that the necessity for th< provlfiion of these articles is d"nifvj. bul hncause means of providing ttwrn otb<*i than by calling upon the patriotic funds e>:ist. The imblic. therefore I can Test assured that th« adrainwtratim ■ continues, a= at. the outset., strictly ii j accordance with the terms for which t'hi ' money was <riven. The wounded am sick fund i* intact, ap.l i-i Wine distri buted to those for whom it was pub scribed, and wlinse number in fntup wiill very lareply increase.."