NEW BELGIUM RELIEF FUND

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 66, 19 March 1915, Page 2

NEW BELGIUM RELIEF FUND

GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS It has been suggested that the recent conference of representatives of various patriotic associations had, by passing a resolution asking the Government to subsidise private donations to the Belgian Relief Fund, to some extent j-un counter to the implied directions of the Imperial Government that direct Government contributions ought not to be 'madn to the Belgian Relief Commission. - Speaking on the subject, the Minister of Defence (Hon. J. Allen) said : — "It is not correct to say that the resolutions passed by the conference run counter to the advice of the Home Government, because all the money subscribed here is to be sent through this Government. We shall send it to the High Commissioner with instructions that no is not to dispose of it except after consultation with the Secretary of State for tho Colonies, the object being to ensure that the money so subscribed shall be devoted to the purposes for which it was intended —that it shall go to relieve the Belgians and not to put food into tho mouths of our enemies. The whole scheme is being worked out now, and I hope to be able to make the details of it public in the course of a day or two. "Generally, the proposal is that the Government shall give a lump sum of £5000 every month, and a pound for pound subsidy up to £5000 a month on all voluntary subscriptions. This means t"hat if £5000 is subscribed every month by the people of the Dominion the Government will pay £10,--000 per month. That means a total of £15,000 a month from this country. The maximum Government donation will be £120,000 a year, and it must be provided dv taxation. We shall have to take tins extra expenditure into consideration when we are dealing withour proposals for extrn taxation." j LETTER OF THANKS The Hon. C. J. Johnston, M.L.C., Belgian Consul in Wellington, has received a letter from the Belgian Legation in London, dated sth February, in which Count de Lalding says :—"I: — "I beg to acknowledge, receipt of your letter of the 17th December 'B relating to the sending of moneys collected by you on behalf of the Belgian Relief Fund. The amounts remitted by you up to the date of 17th December amount, as stated by you, to a total of £12,080 sterling. I am gratified to take this opportunity of thanking you most warmly for your efforts and to congratulate you most sincerely on the magnificent results obtained by you. To my great regret I am unable to personally thank the donors of - these moneys, which, no doubt, you have 'already done ; but I should be pleased by your finding some occasion to let the donors know how much these gifts have touched the Belgian people, and how grateful these latter are to the citizens of New Zealand for their numeroug signs of sympathy and their great generosity. Be good enough to accept the assurance" of my great consideration." For Thursday, 25th, Mr. Murray Kean advertises asking the members of the various tennis clubs to make up theatre parties to attend the PlimmerHall performance of "Lady Windermere's Fan," on which all profits go to the Belgian Fund. The members of the Miramar Golf Club have responded readily to an appeal on behalf of the Belgian Relief Fund. Already a hundred guineas has been subscribed, and the secretary is asking those who have not already contributed to do so as soon as possible, in order that he may be able to hand over the amount to the fund.

THE EVENING POST LIST. £ s. d Already acknowledged ... 1094 5 U Union Clothing Co 25 0 ( Geoige Pirie. 5 0 ( D.I.C. Employees (4th instalment) " 4 7 { Kelbum ... >.< ... 1 0 ( Miss Dickerson 0 5 C Jack and Derek 0 3 ( Total to date 1130 1 I ... 1130 1