PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION

Evening Star, Issue 15907, 13 September 1915, Page 6

PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION

The executive of-the Otago Patriotic and General Welfan) Association met this morning, tire Mayor (Mr J. J. Clark) presiding. As Mr Lewin is unwell, Mr F. C. Reynolds took his place as secretary. A letter was received from Mr David H. Gilmour, suggesting that- the memorial to our fallen soldiers in this war take the form of a 'St. John Ambulance station, fully equipped.—Referred to Wounded Soldiers' .Committee. Mr P. Pv.' Sa,rgoi>d, in acknowledging the association's letter accepting his resignation as chairman of the Expeditionary Force Committee, thanked his colleagues for their support, and testified specially to the valuable and helpful work done by Mr Hugh' Mitchell, tho hon. secretary. The Minister of Defence wrote, in reply to the association's letter of 11th August, that ho proposed to send someone to report upon tho position at Egypt and Malta, but could not eee any need to appoint a civilian agent.—The Mayor said he thought they should express gratification at the information that the Government were sending Lieutenant-colonel Rhodes—Mr Sargocd moved that the Government's action be endorsed.—Carried. Mr J. Stewart Wright wrote intimating that Mr J. London .had been appointed chairman of the' Employment and Relief Committee in place of Mr P. G. Gumming, and the committee asked tliat Mr London be elected a member of the executive of the association.—Mr Gumming vrote thanking the executive for the courtesy shown to his reports.—The Mayor °aid he was sure they would all be de-, lighted to have Mr Loudon's assistance and advice.—Dr W. Brown said that, as chairman of a sub-committee working under the committee of which Mr dimming was chairman, he had had inner opportunities of seeing how well that gentleman had worked for the association, and he moved that the executive record hearty appreciation of Mr Cumming'e services.—Mr John Roberts seconded. They were much indebted to Mr Cvnnming for much prudent work.—The motions for the appointment of Mr Loudon and expressing thanks to Mr dimming were both carried. Dr W. Brown asked that the Medical Sub-committee should be transferred from the jurisdiction of the Employment Committee to the Soldiers and Dependents' Welfare Committee. —The Mayor put this in tho form of a motion, and it was carried. His Worship remarking that the Medical Sub-coTimittee had done a great deal of wise work that the general public knew- nothing about.-—Motion carried. The Hon. Jas. Allen, Minister of Defence, wrote, in replv to the association's letter of 24th August, that the matter of allowance- or grant to officers has been modified in several ways. Where fieldglasses and revolvers are necessary they aro drawn from ordnanco in Egypt and given to- the officer in charge as Government property. A great deal of the complaint as to the allowance not being sufficient is due to otlicors providing unnecessary and expensive equipment. The association might, however, depend that he would do everything possible to ensure that officers are not out of pocket for reasonable military requirements.—Mr F. Mitchell said this reply hardly met the case. It had been proved that the allowance of £2G was totally inadequate.—On the motion of Mr J. B. Shacklock, the matter was referred to the Expeditionary Force Committee The Ota go Division of tho British Medical Association wrote suggesting that no further appeals should be made to the public of Otago for war subscriptions unless approved by the Otago Patriotic and General Welfare Association. They offered tentatively the following definition of the limits of Government and private work:—(a) • Government—all military equipment, stores, ships, hospital needs, provision for s-oldieTs and their dependents, pensions, provision for nurses and others on active service ; (b) private—extra comforts for those on active service, help for our wounded and for our stricken Allies, help for the poor of our own Empire, systematic instruction of our own people as to the nature of the war, its history and possible consequences, encouragement of recruiting.—The Mayor said that they should educate, the peo'ple to the principle that the appeals made by unauthorised people might not be in tile best interests of the- public, and that the public should ha encouraged to contribute direct- to authorised bedies. and avoid overlapping.—The letter was referred to tho Finance Committee. —Belgian Fund.— Mr G. L. Denniston, in moving the adoption of the treasurer's report, requested that £4,000 be sent on to the Belgian fund in the usual way. An amendment 'was moved that o.ily £2,500 be sent, and the Mayor, in explaining this, said that Canterbury was in dire straits over the Belgian fund'owing to sending large sums. The fund was falling away, and it might- be difficult to rouse interest again, so that they should keep something to enable them to meet a big call. The amendment- wns lost, and it was resolved to send £4,0C0. Mr .1. A. Johnstone presented the report of the Belgian Appeal Committee, as follows :"J have to report that the donations for Aurust collected bv the ladies of the Belgian Relief Collecting Committee to date amount to £553 14s 3d, and I think that when all outstanding donations come in the' total for the month, though far below what was received before the Queen Carnival campaign was started, should be very little less than was collected in .Tidy. However, most of the collectors have been advised by contributors that they will not continue their donations next month in view of the war tax that ie about to be imposed, and this is greatly to be regretted, as not one penny derived from the tax will go to help the suffering Belgians. The "committee will discuss at their next meeting the best- means of keeping up the regular donations to this fund, and it- is hoped that- whatever plan is adopted will receive, whole-hearted support from both town and country. The. total amount, that has passed through the hands of the Public Appeal Committee- for the Belgian relief fund to date is £18,921 12s lid. The total amount of donations from all sources during the month is £792 4s lid." At the suggestion of a member, Mr Johnstone inserted the total from Dunediu, £51,400. and as thus amended the report was adopted. —Expeditionary Force.— Mr Mitchell presented the report of the Expeditionary Fores Committee, in which it was stated that £IOO had been remitted for cigarettes and sweets for our soldiers at the front. Report adopted. —Employment and Relief.— Mr J. Loudon read the report of the Employment and Relief Committee. Work on the Leith wall was being steadily pushed on, Z0 edd men being" employed •there. The committee were of opinion that in view of the greatest part ot their work having been taken over by -the Soldiers and Dependents' Committee, they should go into recess and meet again when necessity arises. The report was adopted. —Soldiers and Dependents.— The Mayor presented the first report of the Soldiers and Dependents' Welfare Committee, which set forth that all cases of dependents of men now at the front and of those' in Trentham and Rangiotu who have been receiving assistance from the Employment and Relief Committee have been taken over. The committee asked to be empowered to draw on the funds as required in sums of £SCO at a time. All country committees have been communicated with, soliciting their cooperation. The report was adopted.