PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 134, 3 December 1915, Page 8

PATRIOTIC FUNDS

THE LAGGARD BALANCE-

SHEET

MR, LEWIS REPLIES TO MR. RUSSELL.

Mr. Joseph Lewis, secretary of the Wellington Patriotic Society, has taken exception to the tone of remarks made yesterday by the Hon. G. W. Russell (Minister of Internal Affairs). The Minister practically repeated the remarks made by his Department's Under-Secre-tory, Mr. J. Hislop, in the following letter, dated 29th November, to Mr. Lewis :— "It is a matter of common knowledge, as stated in the press, that certain funds collected for patriotic purposes in connection with the recent Wellington Carnival have not been handed over by the committees in charge thereof, the most recent statement in connection therewith being that four Queen Carnival committees had not transmitted the moneys in their possession. As it j is very unreasonable that moneys should remain for so long a period uninvested, and therefore unproductive, I am directed by the Minister of Internal Affairs, in his capacity as chairman of the National | War Funds Council, to request you to furnish me with the names of the president, secretary, and treasurer of each committee concerned, together with particulars of the moneys received by them ; but not yet accounted for. Kindly let |me have this information at the earliest i , possible moment." I I In a letter dated 2nd December Mr Lewis replied thus to Mr. Hislop :— I have to acknowledge receipt of your favour of 29th ultimo, which I reached me on the Ist instant, on my return from Christehurch. In reply I beg to state that I am unaware that the press has made the statements alleged in your letter, and would add that such sta*^? ents ara quite contrary to fact. I Li. * n vS' riter is under the impression , that all the committees have paid into his society, per medium of himself or of | the hon. treasurer, all moneys held by such committees as a result of the recent Carnival. The point at issue lies between the society and two of the Queen Committees, the difficulty being the nonproduction of audited balance-sheets. The names of the officials concerned will |be supplied to you immediately, should you-so desire.

" I shall be glad if you will be good enough to correct the alleged statement of the press, to the effect that certain committees are still retaining moneys which should have been paid in some time ago to my society, as this is a misstatement calculated to prejudice the public, and thereby hinder any future operations of my, or any other, society in the direction of providing for the dependents of our New Zealand soldiers and sailors. "I would state in conclusion that any information that you may desire is at any time completely at your disposal." The Post has not at any time stated or suggested or implied that any Carnival Committee has not handed over its net returns to the Patriotic Society. The Post's repeated complaints have been in regard to the long delay with the presentation of audited accounts.

Mr. Lewis says that an auditor (whose name he supplied) has had the balancesheet for a week. The result of the examination may be available any day.