RAISING OF FUNDS

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 47, 23 August 1940, Page 8

RAISING OF FUNDS

TO END ON SEPT. 30

LIMITATION TO £100,000

A further announcement was made today by the Minister of Finance (the Hon. Walter Nash) regarding the raising of funds in New Zealand to present fighter aeroplanes to the United Kingdom Government.

Mr. Nash stated that the Government was very pleased with the widespread support being given to the Government's decision to set aside a. total of £100,000 (New Zealand) from the Dominion's overseas funds for the purpose of recognising in tangible form the outstanding achievements of the Boyal Air Force. To this end and in order that all parts of the Dominion should have the opportunity of adequate representation in the gift, it has been decided to provide for collections in the provincial patriotic districts and to request the United Kingdom Government to name the planes purchased after the districts where the funds are collected. The districts are Auckland, East Coast Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, Wellington, Marlborough, Nelson, Canterbury, Otago, Southland, and Westland. All moneys so collected will be credited to the War Expenses Account and disbursed to the extent of the first £100,000 by the payment to the United Kingdom Government for the purchase of fighter aeroplanes for the Royal Air Force and any balance will be allocated towards New Zealand's share of the cost of the Empire air training scheme, in Canada or the purchase of new machines for the defence of New Zealand. STRICT LIMITATION. Mr. Nash explained that, in view of New Zealand's commitments overseas, the gift to the British Government which, it was understood, would be sufficient to enable sixteen fighter aeroplanes to be provided, must be limited to £100,000. The provision of these funds would not increase the supply of planes as the factories were already working to capacity, but it would indicate the appreciation in this Dominion of the outstanding achievements of the Royal Air Force. To the extent that the contributions towards the Empire air training scheme could be provided from New Zealand, it would free United Kingdom resources for payment of further planes or other war materials. To facilitate the raising of the necessary funds, the collection of moneys had been exempted from the provisions of the Patriotic Purposes Emergency Regulations, 1939, which would enable collections to be made by local authorities, newspapers, or by such other authorities or persons as the Minister of Finance might approve. Exemption from the regulations would be conditional on:—(a) That.no such moneys shall be collected after September 30, 1940;. and (b) that all organisations or persons desiring to collect shall obtain the consent of the Minister of Finance and keep a complete record of amounts received.

After collections cease on September 30, the Minister said, a statement would be published showing details of the amount received and the disbursements.