PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2581, 1 October 1915, Page 11

PATRIOTIC FUNDS

MONEY FOR DISTRESSED WOUNDED SOLDIERS. . ; Now that" Auckland has definitely and finally decided in favour of a, provincial instead of a national scheme for the administration of funds subscribed for wounded soldiers and sailors in need of financial aid, it will be necessary for Wellington to decide what action it intends to 1 take in the matter. The Patriotic/Society, which was instrumental in raising a very large sum of money, is at present considering the matter, and the officials of that society have ibefore them draft regulations; , under which t'ho trustees will 'be asked to act, so that it would appear that the hope of getting a national scheme, in which the funds would bo pooled, has been abandoned, and'that a provincial scheme will take its place. At oho conference—held immediately before the National provincdal scheme (with the Wellington military area as the prpvince),;was : actually naopted, the.'understanding' being that if the' national scheme as propounded by Mr.. C. P., Skerrett,; could bo brought about, it. would supersedo the provincial one. / .'.:■•••■ The Mayor (Xfr. J. P. Luke), after expressing regret ,at Auckland's decision, said- that it seemed apparent that they must revert to tho scheme which was to be oporative over the Wellington military area, aind which was approved at the provincial conference, but was still hopeful that a working agreement could' Be madei with tho other centres to prevent anything m the nature of. overlapping or imposition. , As far as he was concerned he was sorry that there, would be no' national sfaheuael, but now . tlitet .appeared to be out of the question, the matter of _ settling the basis on'which" the Wellington military area scheme should be", as soon as possible, and trustees appointed, in order that the work could bo.commenced at once. It had been announced that two more ships wero ■: coming back with nearly a thousand men, arid the pressure on the community J would be felt i 'J. oiio way or the other; 1 The sooner this work was attended to the better. ' Mr. .Luke said that he wished to make it.. Quito clear that, .though certain moneys were tied up for tho present, there was money available for any cases of .'genuine distress among soldi ore who wero returning • frmn the front,, but even, in his small experience so far there was sufficient .cause to show that every case needed ' careful inquiry, but; that need not' retard any soldier from applying for' relief who had a genuine claim on the community.