KING GEORGE V MEMORIAL

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 189, 7 May 1937, Page 13

KING GEORGE V MEMORIAL

Wellington’s Response SUM OF £5OOO ALREADY IN HAND For Dominion, £50,000 in Sight Progress reports were presented at a meeting of the executive committee of the Wellington King George V Memorial Fund held in the city council chambers yesterday afternoon. Mr. R H. Niinmo (chairman), presided. Mr. J. W. Heenan, Under-Secretary of Internal Affairs, was present by invitation. Mr. C. Coad (secretary), said that 5000 letters had been sent to city firms, with lists. Respecting the request for a concert from the National Broadcasting Service, the authorities had replied that as there would only be two visiting artists in New Zealand at the time, and their contracts did not provide for public concerts, the concert was hardly within the scope of practical politics. The Government pub licity would consist of a film, to l>e shown for one week, the Prime Minister speaking on the subject of the George V Memorial Fund. The Rev. C. G. Scrlmgeour, director of the commercial radio service, had offered to give a concert in aid of the fund, at which it was understood certain radio personalities would appear. It had been arranged for the mayor to broadcast on Thursday, May 13, at 7.30 p.m.. from 2YA. In regard to the proposed Flag Day. the secretary said that the city council had given authority for the bolding of a street day on June 3, and the Wellington Returned Soldiers’ Association had agreed to undertake the arranging and conducting of the street collection. The printing of the flags had been taken in hand by the Internal Affairs Department, and letters had been written to the Public Service Commissioner, the Director-General of the Post and Telegraph Department, and the General Manager of Railways, asking for the release of women officers to assist on the day. In addition, all the colleges and the education board had been communicated with, asking for assistance. It had been mentioned in the letter to the education board that it might be possible for the children to take an active part in Flag Day. The secretary stated that the Wellington fund now stood at £5OOO. A letter had been received from Mr. J. R. Perston (New Zealand Institute of Secretaries) stating that it was proposed to donate to the fund the profit of its ball to be held on Coronation Day. The Rotary. Club was asking its "members to interview' business men in connection with the appeal. There was no suggestion of Rotarians collecting money. “Old Crocks” Procession. Mr. W. A. Sutherland volunteered to organise a procession of “old crock” motor-cars. He realised that they would have to get the permission of the Minister of Transport to except such cars from the road-worlhiness regulation for the day. He might even be able to arrange for an “old crock” to tow a Ministerial car. “With the Minister in it?” asked a member. “Well, I think he would be game,” said Mr. Sutherland. On the suggestion of Mr. Heenan it was decided to ask the churches to donate 1 to the fund the collections which might be made at special coronation services. “Competition Is Life of Contributions.”

t Mr. Heenan reported that he had f communicated with the mayors of the other cities and towns, and as the re- t suit there would be a free interchange < of idtjas which should be mutually j helpful. He thought that a good i slogan for the campaign would be “com- i petition is the life of contributions.” That had been proved already in the case of some of the harbour boards. Money was coming in from all parts of the country. Up to the present: they had been making up leeway on the Government’s £25,000, and now they were making headway. As a matter of fact £50,000 was in sight. He had in his possession a copy of the Auckland donations up till yesterday—a matter of 15 pages. The total to May 4 (mayor’s list) was ; £B6Ol. : “Judging by what we have done up 1 to date," said Mr. Nimmo, “we are ; as far forward as Auckland.” • Mr. Heenan said It was not so much the amount —it was the number of contributors in each city and town which really counted. Mr. Nimmo said he was prepared to approach 50 or perhaps 100 business men by telephone from his own office table. Mr. Heenan said an appeal was being made to civil servants, signed by the presidents of every Public Service organisation. He once more emphasised that “competition is the life of contributions” as between town and town and business and busines#. Mr. Nimmo thanked Mr. Heenan cordially for his inspirational talk, and said that much of the success of the campaign was due to the example of the Acting-Prime Minister, Hon. P. Fraser, and also to Mr. Heenan’s personal efforts. PUBLIC SERVICE Appeal to Employees An appeal to employees in Government departments for contributions to the King George V Memorial Fund for the establishment of permanent health camps has been issued by the various Public Service organisations. The appeal is signed by Mr. H. W. Parnell, president of the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Employees’ Association; Mr. S. W. Gaspar, vice-president of the National Union of Railwaymen; Mr. T. Pound, president of the New Zealand Public Service Association; Mr. W. R. Murray, president of the New Zealand Police Association: Mr. M. A. Pike, president of the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Officers’ Guild: Mr. J. Robb, president of the New Zealand Locomotive Engineers, Firemen and Cleaners’ Association; Mr. J. W. Mcllraith, president of the Civil Service Institute: Mr. E. W. Barnes, president of the ' New Zealand Railway Officers’ Institute; Mr. E. J. Mulligan, president of the New Zealand Railway Tradesmen’s Association. ’ Heads of departments are asked to bring the appeal to the notice of all officers of their departments, wherever

they may be stationed for the time f being. It is proposed to credit local J funds established by mayors, etc., in various districts with . sums donated { bv public servants stationed in those t districts, but at the same time the { response to the appeal will be publicly notified both as a total and under j headings showing the several services, j ] WELLINGTON’S RESPONSE * i ——— i Fund Mounting Steadily j — i The mayor of Wellington. Mr. T. C. ' A. T Hislo P f expressed his appreciation 1 of the manner in which citi- , zens were rallying to the support of • the King George V memorial fun . Seals for funds for 01 the Doroth ea, and m view of the way funds were coming to hand it wm clear that Wellington would not be found wanting on this f The mayor said that it was m<kt gratifying that funds were coming from all sources, from business Arma and their staffs, from organisations of all kinds and from private Individuals. With the many promises he personally had received there was no doubt that the appeal was going to be highly successful and that it would be possible fo ■ WellingVjn to commemorate in a fitting living memorial, evidenced in radiant health won for Wellington children, the life and reign of a beloved monarch. . „ The mayor acknowledges receipt or

UNION COMPANY GIVES £lOOO The Acting-Prime Minister, Hon. P. Fraser, has received a cheque for £lOOO from the Union Steam Ship Company as a donation to the King George V National Memorial Fund.

the following additional Previously acknowledged .. ■1469 14 6 P. II. Latham and Co., Ltd. 2 10 0 A. 31. Sattherthwaite and Co., Ltd 1 1 0 Makower, McBeath and Co., Ltd 25 0 0 The staff, Jliee Mary Garden 12 6 W.F.K 10 0 The staff, Brailsfords, Courtenay Place 10 0 Mr. and Mrs. II. L. Nathan 10 10 0 His Master's Voice (N.Z.) Ltd 25 0 0 F. Cooper Ltd 3 3 0 Wellington Centre, Red 10 Cross, Society 0 0 Cr. L. McKenzie 0 L. McMillan and staff 7 0 Office staff, Wellington Master Printers’ Association 14 0 W. L. Jenneas, Petone .... 10 0 IV.A., Newtown School ... 1 0 0 El vo t» 0 0 N.Z. Breweries Ltd. (Weilington quota) 150 0 0 Automobile Association (Wellington) 50 0 0 Wellington Girls' College . za 0 0 £4781 4 0