Bay of Plenty Times TUESDAY, SEPT 14TH, 1915. PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 6487, 14 September 1915, Page 2

Bay of Plenty Times TUESDAY, SEPT 14TH, 1915. PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

it was icasonable to expect that the time would come .when the question of administration of patriotic funds in New Zealand should be seriously considered aud placed upon a sound and busiuesslike footing. That time has arrived. The Government has in contemplation, or lias already pre-

pared, a measure for submission to Parliament, dealing with tin- suiminis tration of these funds, but in the absence of any information as to the direction in which it is proposed to legislature it is only possible to conjecture as to the provisions of tho Bill. They .will no doubt relate! principally to the proper -auditing of nil accounts in eonueebion with these funds—a very necessary provision— but will not otherwise place any irksome restrictions ou the application and distribution of moneys so raised. Many suggestions have been made as to how the funds raised in various parts of the Dominion can best be applied to meet the needs of those of " our boys '' who, having risked their

lives in tho country's cause, return aud find themselves in necessitous circuoistauces One suggestion ematfrom Wtlliugton was that a Dominion War Relief Association should be formed. A sub-committee of the Auckland Provincial Patriotic aud War Relief Association considered this proposal aud submitted an adverse report, although they favoured the establishment of a National Federation of similar Associations to that at Auckland, whose governing body should define the area of the distiicts in which the several Relief Associations shall raise and eApend funds, set »pa standard scale of relief for their guidance, and adjudicate upon all erses of difVereuce which may from time to time arise between them. The Aucklaad Patriotic Association has now submitted to the Mayors of the various towns in the Auckland Province suggestions regardiug the proposed unification of all patriotic funds in the Province These proposals, which we publish today, were considered by the local committee last week, and a lvpiy was sent to the Secretary of the Association .hat, subject to the consent of a public meeting, the committee was in favour of the scheme as outlined. It is to consider these proposals, and to decide other matters in connection with local patriotic funds, that the public meeting convened by His Worship the Mayor for to-mor-row night, is to be held."We are all engaged in one great common cause. Some are at the front bearing the brunt,of the burden. We at home liave an unmistakable duty to perform. The attendance at Wednesday uight's meeting will be a reasonable indication of the extent to which that duty is realised.