THE PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 73, 27 March 1920, Page 13

THE PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

S ' 1 r AUCKLAND AND NATIONALISATION. ) SCHEME BROACHED TOO LATE. r A statement of Auckland's case against i the nationalisation of all patriotic funds was given to a "Star" reporter to-day by the president of the Auckland Provincial Patriotic Association, Mr. J. H. Gunson. "The position of tho Auckland province in connection with patriotic funds is dissimilar from that of the other three chief centres," Mr. Gunson stated, "in that the Auckland Patriotic, I Fund is the only provincial fund in the Dominion. The Auckland fund, though j large, is not mora than adequate for I - the needs of our own men. The prini ciples urged in support of national!**-1 > tion, namely, equality of treatment and j . adequate allowances to men from poor f districts, are thoroughly sound, .but an ; obligation should not be thrown upon . Aucjdand because its fund happens to ba . larger than any of the others. The , proper course for those societies which i failed to raise such a relatively large ( sum as Auckland is to accept full responi sibility for their own men and to take action accordingly. The national war funds, amounting to 822,000, should be; available for the assistance of districts! which may be proved to be financially i unabie to meet the need* of their own men." I | Mr. Gunson further pointed out that ! under the Auckland scheme for assisting , disabled soldiers, £23,000 had been dis- , bursed in the last few months, and the j total payments from the Wounded Sol,'diers' Fund for the financial year just closing would approximate £60,000. , I With undiminished and recurring claims, i the fund might last from four to six , years. Originally a term of twenty-one . | years Was aimed at, and tables of ex- ,' penditure on this assumption were , | adopted for use throughout the province. .Demands, however, proved to be considerably greater than expectations, and payments were limited only by the needs Of returned men and their dependents, as local committees determined them to be. The total capital at its maximum was £340,000, but now it had been reduced to £230,000. The payments this year were the heaviecrt on record. The situation was radically different from that of 1615, and because Auckland favoured nationalisation, then it did not follow that such a course was now the proper one to adopt.