THE PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 141, 14 June 1917, Page 4

THE PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

It is, we believe, tlie general opinion that the management of the Auckland Patriotic and War Relief Association docs ite work very well; indeed, Mr.

Fowlds was not exaggerating when he said at yesterday's meeting that the public had the greatest confidence in tho executive. The business managed by the executive bas gTown very large. Last year the Claims Board dealt with 1741

cases, exclusive of the work of the twenty branches of the Association, over 5000 cases were investigated by local relief workers; and the invested funds amount to nearly £330,000 These are only a few items picked out of many in the annual report. The thanks of the community arc due to the many men and women who are devoting so much of their time and energy to this necessary work. In his address yesterday the chairman brought up some important matters. There will be general agreement with Mr. Gunson on the question of local versus Government control. It is known that one Minister would like to take over all the private patriotic funds, but we are sure that the general opinion of the community is against this. The relief given to Boldiers and their dependent by local committees is supplementary to that given by the Government, and if the Government took over the funds there would be a temptation to use them to supply the payments that now come out of taxation. Government action is much slower, and (to put it rather mildly) more cautious than local action, and if the whole of war relief were vested in the Government the usual evils of centralisation would be bound to appear. Mr. Upton was right yesterday in saying that the executive would never go wrong in erring on the side of liberality. "There was something in the work which belonged more to the heart than to a law court, and it was this the public looked to the committee to supply." The Government, on the other hand, feels more or less obliged to act in the "law court" spirit in dealing with soldiers.

But while he opposes Government control, Mr. Gunson believes that there should ho unification of the Dominion funds, 60 as to secure uniformity in scales of relief and general policy. There is now reciprocity and a Dominion Advisory Board, but Mr. Gunson does not think this is enough. The scheme he suggests would create "one very substantial fund under strong and consistent administration," which, however,

"would be sufficiently elastic to retain to all centres their individuality and their freedom of administration." But could these conflicting claims be reconciled? Auckland would have to give up sole control of its large fund, and while narrow provincial views are out of place in dealing with a question of this kind, subscribers would want some guarantee that a substantial amount of control would remain in the hands of the local committees. Some of the evils arising from Government control might attend this scheme. The question, which has yet been raised only in general terms, deserves very careful consideration, nnd Mr. Gunson will not be surprised if there is considerable opposition.