STREET COLLECTIONS.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17855, 30 August 1923, Page 12

STREET COLLECTIONS.

allocation of permits.

PROVISION FOR TEN DATS YEARLY. A conference, convened by the City Council, was held in the Council Chamber last night to consider the question of allocating permits and arranging dates for approved street collections. The Mayor (Mr J. A. Flesher) presided over a good' attendance of representatives of the different organisations interested. The Mayor explained that the meeting was called to consider the best arrangements for street collections. In the past there had been many of these appeals, some of which had arisen during the war period, and many of the organisations making the appeals had made them on special days. It was now thought that the number of days on which street collections were made should be curtailed. So many applications had been received to date for permit that there was a chance of the 'Finanoe Committee eliminating gome of them. If the community was taxed too much by these collections there was a danger that the amounts subscribed would decrease. Cr. C. P. Agar said that the Finanoe Committee had laid doivn no hard and fast policy, thinking it best to have a conference with those interested and believing that if a unanimous decision could be arrived at it' would be better for the Council and the organisations. There was a danger that bodies worthy at' support being prejudiced and suffering owing to the multiplicity of these appeals. It had been suggested that a pooling scheme should be adopted, but the Finance Committee did not wish to assume the responsibility involved in such a scheme, as it was quite impossible for it to decide on the merits of the different appeals. It was considered, however, that all collections should be controlled by the Council, which should supply properly sealed' boxes. In the event of a pooling scheme being adopted in respect of some organisations, it was desirable that the ratio to be revived by each should be defined at the outset. Mr E. Orchard (U.S.A.) explained the object of Poppy Day, which was to raise funds to find work for unemployed returned soldiers. Last'winter, by this means, 200 returned soldiers had been found work; and this winter 120. In addition the U.S.A. subsidised £ for £ money spent by local bodies in finding work for unemployed returned soldiers. M* H. Holland (Progress League) referred to the general pooling scheme which had been referred to a special committee of the League, and_ said that conference had been-held with_ those interested who raised • the objection that some people who gave to one object declined to give to another. The Mayor thought that the street collection days might be _ narrowed down to those in respect of nine bodies: the Church •of England Hospital and St. Saviour's Orphanage might take a day between them. Mis Carrington (Children's Convalescent Cottage) said tbafc if the committee that managed that institution could not. get a full day, it ,'asked to be allowed part of a day. The Mayor suggested that there should be one dav devoted to organisations dealing with children. , Mr P. Amodeo (Lewisham Hospital) said that those interested in thai; institution had not sufficient money to go ahead with the proposed ward' in which tlie .poor of ail denominations would receive treatment. Mr W. W. McKinney (St. John's Ambulance) said that a general pooling scheme would probably prove too unwieldy and no one of the organisations would receive an adequate azUount. Mr R. A. Kenner (Y.M.C.A.) doubted whether a general pooling scheme would be successful unless controlled! by some very effective v organisation, which had the power to investigate ,the merits of the different appeals and the power to allocate the proceeds amongst them: such an organisation would have to be backed by very efficient planning. The Mayor asked the representatives present to state the amount that their appeals had realised on the last occasion on which they wejo made. The following information was given:—PlunketSociety, £600; R.S.A. (Poppy Day), £800; Navy League, £430; St. John Ambulanoe Association, £200; Salvation Army, £215; Lewisham Hospital (about) £250; Society for the Protection of Women and Children, £270; Creche and Kindergarten (Daffodil Day), £300; Church of England Hospital, £550; S.M.C.A., £440; !Dr. Barnardo's ■ Homes, £.IOO. Mr W. Walton (Navy League) said that the League was not proposing to make a street collection, but was making arrangements for a street fair. Mr G. L. Donaldson (District Nursing Association) said that the tion had not been under the necessity to institute a street collection, but he desired to protect the Association's interests in case it was found necessary to make such an appeal. He thought that there should not be more than eight days in the year on which such collections should be made. The smaller organisations should pool. He knew that there were people who would not give to certain organise tions.

The Mayor said that it appeared that there were half-a-dozen organisations who had recognised collection days. The question was whether t&e remainder would agree to pool: if so, it- meant getting £I2OO or £I3OO. in one day. Replying to a question the Mayor said that the total of the sums mentioned was about £4OOO. He suggested that there should be ten or eleven collecting days in the year—l in August, 2 in September and October, and one' in e!ach month from and including November to April. He_asked if the Y.M.C.A. and the Y.W.C.A. could confine tliefr appeals to one day. Mr Kenner said that he had no authority to give a definite answer, but would be pleased to take up the matter with the Y.W.C.A. on behalf of the committee. . Cr. Agar suggested that six organisations should be ' allocated one day each. This would leave four days for the remaining organisations which could be utilised either by two or I three pooling on one day, or by one : organisation having a full day one year and another Organisation a full day the .following year. The six organisations to be given one day yearly would be: the Returned Soldiers' Association (Poppy Day), St. John's Ambulance Association, the Plunket Society, the Creche and Kindergarten Association, the Salvation Army, and the Navy League. Mr Kenner asked that the Y.M.C.A. should be included in the essential list. The Mayor said that the Y.M.C.A. could have one day eachi alternate year, or, with the Y.W.C.A., one day each year. Cr. J. K. Archer, while admitting the importance of jTavy Day, said that they should give preference to the appeals of charitable organisations. Cr. A. McKellar said that in addition to securing funds there was also the question of propaganda to be considered and in his opinion the Navy League was just as worthy as, say, the St. John Ambulanoe Association. The Mayor said that the Navy League's appeal would not clash with (Continued at foot of next colnam.)

collec& M Jt bo a street posal thal^+? meeting the promentioned ehoulcf eaoff 1 ),' Sa^°nS a^oVe " nually was aizreed io Ve . a da y another u' As to the that the YM p a' T suggested should have nn«V Y -W.GA. one day annually a^r nately, or same with the England Hospital Church of iour's Orp^nace• th« tho - St - Say. of Lewisham and'Jl t l* me m respect ganisation • and th« «« y - anotll€r orthe Societi fo? It K of possibility 0 f *>here was no permission for stSl!? grantin S square. For stalk C^hedraf written plication w!S t SqUare made, ancTWould havl e be by the committee. considered i? a WaJ. Major, rtioh w ca^ y The Mayor said that occasion for. that an !h 6 Waa no doing their duty as +>,*> y W€re °nly peojja. 7 88 the 0 f the