OBJECTIVES OF WAR FUNDS

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22895, 16 December 1939, Page 14

OBJECTIVES OF WAR FUNDS

♦ WORK OF NATIONAL BOARD HELP FOR EMPIRE AND ITS ALLIES GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S ADDRESS “No doubt you arc feeling pleased that the Achilles, with a 75 per cent. New Zealand crew on board, made such a magnificent performance in the South Atlantic,” said his Excellency the Governor-General, Lord Galway, during an address in the City Council Chambers yesterday to country, and suburban mayors on the work of the National Patriotic Fund Board, Lord Galway described the objects of the fund, and said that the elimination of waste and overlapping was vitally necessary. The Mayor, Mr R, M. Macfurlane, M.P., who presided, assured his Excellency of the support ox Canterbury tor the national iund. Unlonunaw misapprehensions over the function of the fund were, he said, now being cleared up throughout the country. Overlapping and needless duplication of collecting agencies during the last war had resulted in very considerable waste of time, energy, and money, said Lord Galway. It was the object of the present organisation to avoid this. At the beginning of a war, too many people were inclined to rush in to start buying and spending without having made any preparations for the future. / "1 would like to emphasise that the Government does not intend to interfere in any way with the money raised by the board,” said Lord Galway. ‘‘There have been suggestions that there is something political in the functions of the board, and that the Government might assume the money collected; but there is not a word of truth in that suggestion. There is actually no member of the Government on the board. The Government was broadminded enough to see that there should be no suggestion of political interference. The board ‘is as Impartial and representative as it could well be made. 1 can assure you that if there was any suggestion of political bias on the board, I would not lend my name to it in any shape or form.” Board’s Objectives Broadly, the objectives before the board were to look after New Zealand men in New Zealand and overseas; to help those in the British Empire who were carrying the burden of the war, specially those at sea, who were keeping the trade routes open; and third, to assist the Allies, France and Poland. The lesson of the last war should have been ledrned, that the Allies might need help even more than our own .men. In the last war France had to be helped materially, as her resources in some important aspects were strained to breaking-point. The board in Wellington was organising and planning along the best lines that experts could suggest, and in time it would send to the provinces advice and proposals which would mak.e perfectly clear what the duties of all were. The work of war relief fell into two distinct categories, assistance to the serving troops, and assistance to the sick, wounded, and prisoners of war. The Red Cross, for instance, could not supply serving troops without abusing .the badge under which it worked. At present the board would require more assistance for the serving troops than for the sick and wounded, whose needs would become urgent later on. One point that was being given serious attention, said his Excellency, was the size of parcels and the composition of parcels. A standard parcel would eventually be worked out which would give the maximum possible to the troops, and would be easily and efficiently packed. During the last war there had been much waste in this direction. Wrong packing spoiled much of the contents of parcels, and much more was wasted through being quite unsuitable to the needs of the men, or through being already available as a military issue. Needs of Prisoners Great attention was being given to the needs of prisoners of war, who if the blockade was successful, would have a very unpleasant time, and parcels were being planned to give as much food value as possible. Beside valuable supplementary diet, the parcels should contain material to chccr the prisoners. Applications for assistance from overseas were already beginning to come in, but as it was-impossible to send money overseas, New Zealand would have to send goods. Fortunately New Zealand was rich in woollen goods and foodstuffs. The elimination of waste of foodstuffs was therefore most important. There was no suggestion that anyone should go short of the necessaries of life, but the waste of food in New Zealand could be cut down. Certain bodies, said his Excellency, had been authorised as collectors. It was most important to realise that if any one, of those organisations collected money, it would be earmarked for that body. There Was a tendency to think that money simply went into the common fund, and this might discourage people from giving directly to such organisations as the Red Cross. All money collected would be used for the purposes of whatever organisation collected it, and it was hoped that the board would be able to subsidise each organisation heavily as well. His Excellency mentioned specifically the stamp drive. If every household helped with its half-crown, New Zealand ought to-be able to raise a big sum for the central fund at once, he said. It was important that money should be available immediately so that comforts could be supplied to the men of the expeditionary force when they sailed. On Large Lines The central fund had to think oh large lines, because it waa the only body with the national organisation to get things done ', expeditiously. The burden of- war funds should be spread as evenly as possible throughout the community, and this was ah important part of the work of the board. Burnham Camp, for instance; should not be the responsibility of the Canterbury people alone, and for all such projects a ratio had been worked out, and each district would eventually be: called on to fill its quota. The board was trying to set Up an organisation that Would work perfectly smoothly as the war progressed. It .would at all times take the provincial bodies into its confidence. "We arc eliminating overlapping and waste,” said Lord Galway. “We are organising so that the maximum coordinated effort will be placed at the service of the Slate and the men on service. The present lull in the campaign has given us valuable time to organise and plan and get everything .ready. The only thing is that as nothing spectacular has yet happened bn the Western Front, people are inclined to forget that there Is a war on, The object of all strategy is to concentrate superior forces in the right place at

the right time. Wo can concentrate our effort so that we can help in the object of winning the war.” Before his Excellency left the Council Chambers, those present at the meeting were presented to him. PATRIOTIC FUND APPEAL ,

BANK OF NEW ZEALAND GIVES £IOOO Donations of almost £2OOO, including £IOOO from the Bank of New Zealand, have bee.n acknowledged for the National Patriotic Fund Board. A s.um Of £72 11s lid has also been acknowledged for the sick and wounded fund. Among other contributions to the' Patriotic Fund are T. A. Duncan £SOO, Bank of New South Wales £250, Mosgiel Woollen Factory Company, Ltd., £SO, Amalgamated Dairies, Ltd., £25, W. Perry £25. With lesser sums the amount acknowledged is £1991 16s.