FOR FRANCE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 239, 27 June 1918, Page 6

FOR FRANCE

THE CAMPAIGN FOR FUNDS ARRANGEMENTS IN TItAIN A meeting was liold Inst, night in the Counoil Chamber at the Town Hall to make further arrangements for the conduct of the campaign shortly to be launched for the purpose of raising funds to. narfiet those of the French peopio in their own country who have" suffered want or other privation in the war. The Mayor of Wellington (Mr. 3. p. Luke) presided, '• r ] le Mayor, opening the meeting, said tnat tho p.jrmit ior the carrying tnrough « the campaign had been received. Since last meeting Mr. W. D. Gorhain had agreed to act as honorary secretary of tno fund, and it was tho opinion of the committee that his services would be valuable in the campaign particularly becauso of hie acquaintance with the"paswral interests. Messrs. Watkine, Hunt, and Wheeler hail consented to not as treasurers, and the trustees, whose duties wo «ld ho light, would Iμ the Mayor, Mr. J- P. Maxwell, and Cantajn Barclay. Ho was not at all discouraged because the attendance at the meeting was small, because it always happened that the work was done by a few. In any case, it was not the intention of the committee to cry to raise funds by spectacular entertainments or anything of that sort. There would be a direct appeal only. This, he thought, would be more in keeping with the dignity of the fund and the purpose for which it was being raised He, hoped that the success of the scheme would be a proper tribute to a nation winch had done and suffered so much in the great war. Captain Barclay said that there might have been an idea that the movement irasineome degree , - unnecessary, and Wveiy to overlap on other funds. The Drench nation was suffering in quite a peculiar way-from the consequence of invasion, the destruction of homes, and so on; but not a murmur had been Heard iroin an agonised people. There wero Wench people among them, aged and crippled, who were in dire straits, and it was considered that the .effort should oe tor the purpose of aiding these nni nippy people. Th o object was ureas enough to make it a fitting one for a national response. As a community A Zealand people, except those with triends and relative.? at the front, had little except the daily bulletins in the newspapers to remind them that there was a war going on.. It had not been so with thousands of people in France. Already some good work; had been done. An individual appeal had bean prepared and would shortly be circulated. First, appeal would be made to the woplgrowers, chiefly because they were at a distance from Wellington. It was hoped that_the effort would culminate on July J"- By that date he hoped and believed th , a >;_ there' would be a responso worthy of f>l ew- Zealand and its people, a response which would show the appreciation of the New Zealand people of the inflexible determination and steadfastness of the French people, which it had been the supreme effort of the Germans to brealc down. The French had flung defianco at the aggressors, but at what a cost in hunger, want, and dire privations, to say nothing of the loss, of the nation's men! AVe were not Suffering at all, and it was our duty to help the French.

Mr. J. Hutcheson eaid that he devoutly hoped that in spite of such little asperities as there had been at the outset, the movement would be Dominion widei He believed that if accurate statistics could be obtained it would be found that Wellington had subscribed more goneroufily than any other New Zealand centre. Effort here had not been to concentrated, had been more diffused, and it waa because of the, number of other jippeals made to the public that llie people who had had this scheme of a fund for France had" not thought it wise to introduce it before. Mr. HutchasoA spoke of the splendid generosity of the American people to help the people <1 France. Judged by the standard of the {irst effort of the Americans, New Zealand would have to find c£182,000. He hoped that the appeal would be conducted witlioii.t • recourse to any "thimble-rigging,- lotteries, and this book business going round." The Mayor suggested that all present should join, the General Committee, and he moved accordingly. This resolution was carried, as was also another motion by the Mayof that the ladies present form themselves into a Ladies', Committee, to organise such parts of the effort as street collections.

Mr. C. R. Smith said lie heartily agreed with. Mr. Hutcheson that contributions should be by direct giving, and by direct giving only. Nor did he agree that the appeal would be at the , expenso of other funds. On the contrary he thought that neither the Red Cross nor any other fund would suffer because of this collection. In any case, the cry for aid from the thousands of, French people in their sufferings should' reach every humane citizen of this land of peace and plenty. (Jut pf sympathy for the French people in their sufferin'gs, as much as out of admiration, New Zealand people should subscribe liberally to this fund. Mrs, J. A. Hanan eaid that she was sure that it would be found that New Zealand people would account it a privilege as well as a duty to subscribe to tho fund. —

A soldier in uniform spoko of his own observations of the sufferings of the i'rencli people. He said that he himself was from Gisborne, and he was sure that' the appeal would be well supported there, if it were extended to that town. He would prefer not to belong to the committee, but he would do all he could to assist the appeal., , Madame de Cleene snid that as a French woman she wished to thank all speakers for their references to the people of her country. The meeting went into committee to set up sub-committees. When discussing the formation of ladies' committees, Mr. Hutche6on expressed the regret of the meeting that Mrs. Luke was unable to be present, and expressed a hope that she would soon be back at her pface "in tiie front trenches, where she has been since the beginning of the war." • It was arranged subsequently that the ladies' present 'be a committee, pro tern, and that a meeting of /ladies be called later, at which the permanent committee and permanent officers might bo uppointed. MONET RECEIVED. Th<f following new list of subscriptions waa handed to our representative by the Mayor yesterday:— ' ■ £ s. d. Robert Or, Lower Hutt 10 0 0 C. H. Seville 10 0 0 "A. Friend," TChandaUah 5 0 0 R. S. Abraham ;. 5 0 0 S.P., Wellington 5 0 0 J. P. Luke I! 3 0 Oeo. Hemingway 2 2 0 ~T. P. Maxwell 2 0 0 Mr. Gibson (Electric Light Department) 1. 0 0 W. B. Matheson 10 0 The above moneys, with I hose previously received by the Mayor and Cantab Barclay, have now been handed "over to Messrs. Watluns, Hull. Hunt, nud Wheeler, the- official treasure™ of "New Zealand's Tribute to France" Fund, and for the future any subscriptions should bo forwarded to that firm at the Accountants' Chambers, Johnston Street Subscriptions will also be received at The Dominion Office, and handed over to the official treasurers from time to time.