Y.M.C.A. WAR WORK.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLV, Issue 6852, 13 April 1917, Page 2

Y.M.C.A. WAR WORK.

Appeal for Funds

Mr Charles Rhodes. Chiirman of the Citizens' War Work Committee of the . Y.M.C.A., ba« addressed the following ~ letter to the Mayor, Mr C. E. Macmil- l lan (in common with the Mayors of " other boroughs throughout the Fro- -»>; vince)":—

The splendid work done by the Y.M. •» C.A. organisation at the Front, in ' Prince, Egypt, Gallipoli, Malta, Mempotamia, &c, and in England, in promoting the comfort and welfsre of our soldiers is well known to everyone* ' Thousands of letters from our Boyi t < and references in the papers and "7 magazines endorse and confirm .He-., above statement. The work, however, *' l cannot be carried on without money* and already the balance-sheet shows '- that neitly £1,000,000 were expended ?.\ up to May last, while it in certain that v :; the total now exceeds U millions. Of " this huge sum, Auckland Province ap- ?. pears to have subscribed only £4,500, _ . as against £60,000 from the rest of New Zealand. Obviously we hive „♦ fallen short of jur dufy, but only, ir»,.^ think, because our duty was not plain- ? ly shown to us. A War Woik Commit-. - • ; tee to promote the Y.M.C.A k War Fund has now been formed, of whom "* the following are tbV Executive:— v Messrs Charles Khodea, Cnairmin; '£* Wesley Spragg, .Vice-Chaitmn;.'-, George Wilson. Hon. Treasurer; Ed- .'/ ward Anderson, and Prank Duthie, *v Organising Secretaries; and J. J. ( Walklate, H. M. Smeeton, H. Kits- * ling, J..J. Kingston, A. Ferguson, A. i G. Lunn, W. G. Holdswortb, W\ E. ~ Bush, Hon. George Fowlds. These gentlemen hope you will flee"" your way to join them in (he good " work of raising £25,000 throughout '- the Auckland Province and that you '.« will assist in organising a sub commit- ~ tee in your town. The Women's Patriotic League htye . • volurteered to their services and :V are asking their various county * branches toco-operate with their - Mayors, and this, we believe, will ; prove a valuable assistance to any - committee which you may set up. *, The collecting campaign is to start ,- on the 16th April, and to be continued for two weeks. Remember that in supporting this effort you are ministering to your own kith and kin. Just consider what our citizen soldiers are sacrificing, and compare their lot with that of the citizen who stays at home. • ' Will you be so good as to let us know v that you will actively co-operate, tnd we shall, perhaps, be able to support your effort with a lecture from Mr T T Smeeton or Mr Poole, or at any rate ' some general information by cir-** cular." In this connection it has been arran* '2. ged that Mr Smeetop will deliver ■■ address in the Town Hall on Wednes- - ~ day, the 18th inst.