TO RAISE FUNDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 128, 1 June 1937, Page 9

TO RAISE FUNDS.

APPEAL BY Y.M.C.A.

ORGANISER IN AUCKLAND.

NEW ZEALAND ER'S SUCCESS

Graduate of Knox College, Dunedin, and ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church, and now head of «. financial organisation in San Francisco, Mr. ■T. Henry Lang arrived by the Aorangi from Vancouver to-day oil a vi-sit to his homeland and to help the Auckland Y.M.C.A. in its financial appeal next

month

In 1910 Mr. Lang left New Zealand and for some years represented the Y.M.C.A. in India. In the years of the Great War lie was national secretary of the Y.M.C.A. in Australia. In 1922 his special ability for finance solicitation and organisation took him to America, where he has had marked success.

In San Francisco Mr. Lang formed an organisation for the financing of philanthropic and social institutions. "It is

a new profession," he said. "The idea is to get the business man to help these institutions voluntarily. We hail difficult times in the days of the depression. but now, with business on the upgrade. there has been a ready and excellent response."

Before he left San Francisco Mr. Lang's organisation raised the first 3.000.000 dollars for San Francisco's World Fair in 1939, to celebrate the opening of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay bridge and the Golden Gate bridge, two of the largest bridges in the world. "That three million was raised quietly, without any bras.=; bands," said Mr. Lang. The exhibition was to cost 4.">,000,000 dollars.

Although his organisation had raided the initial 3.00(7.000 dollars for San Francisco's Wold Fair. Mr. Lang said he was largely interested in Y.M.C.A.s, universities, colleges and similar bodies. He was in Auckland to renew old associations and to give a helping hand to the Auckland Y.M.C.A.. with which he had had happy associations in the past.

Mr. Lang will be in New Zealand until about the end of July, when he will return to San Francisco. He was last in Auckland,in 1033. when be stayed a week during a hurried to Australia.