KING GEORGE MEMORIAL, FUND

Evening Star, Issue 22630, 23 April 1937, Page 6

KING GEORGE MEMORIAL, FUND

STATEMENT BY % ACTING PRIME MINISTER Some local authorities seem to ha under a misapprehension as to their powers to contribute to the King George V. national memorial fund, which is being raised for the purpose of establishing permanent children’s health camps in the Dominion, and-a statement of their position was made to-day, by the Acting Prime Minister (the Hon* P. Fraser). . Mr Fraser said that it was the Government’s intention that the memorial should be truly national, and he pointed out that the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. M. J. Savage) had promised that any contribution by a local authority, would be, if necessary, validated at th« nest session of Parliament. The camps,he said, would be more than a great social service. They would . also •be a' memorial to a King who reigned oven the British Commonwealth of for over 25 years, and he felt sure the twofold spirit of the appeal would, ineet with a nation-wide response. “If the whole of the fund were sup* plied by the Government,” said Mr; Fraser,-“it would not be a nation at memorial of the people themselves. Inr the same way, if the whole of the. money were contributed by the : local bodies, tbe appeal would still lack the response which the Government, thaj Right Hon. G, W. Forbes, the Leaden of the Opposition (the Hon, Adant Hamilton), and others associated with! it, desire. “ It is our wish that the local bodice should contribute according t° theii} means, blit,- what is more we ask them to co-operate with the) Government in organising the response; of the citizens within their area?. ■ Iti is suggested that this could best bei done by the mayors and chairmen of local authorities arranging for the setting up of local committees, _and_ enlisting the aid of local, organisations oil every kind in seeking donations, and! devising methods of raising funds. Ini some districts, through the lack of local organisations, there are no appropriate channels through which the people may. respond to the appeal. “As far as possible the raised in the various districts will bai credited to those districts. In his conWmunications with national organisations; the Prime Minister made it clean that he did not wish all the money to be sent direct to the Government in Wellington. Rather he desired th« local branches of these national organisations to co-operate with the local committees and to pay their collection* and contributions into the local fund# whether it be administered by tbo mayor, the county or town board chairman, or the local newspaper: At tho same time, however, they are asked tor advise the national body so that each! national organisation will be in a position, when the fund closes, to state what its branches and its members have contributed.”