PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 April 1943, Page 3

PATRIOTIC FUNDS

WESTLAND COUNCIL MEETING

I A meeting of the Westland Provin- : cial Patriotic Council was held at Greymouth, last evening, there being present: Messrs A. R. Elcoc/c (chairman), J. B. Kent, P. J. McLean, J. Smeaton, K. O. May, J. W. Greenslade, M. Houston, J. A. Murdoch, F. A. Kitchingham, F. H. Denton, W. Ciayton, T. G. Jamieson, R. Kelleher, W. Green, T. E. Coates, Mrs F. W. Shallcrass, Mr D. J. Evans (secretary). The Chairman welcomed Messrs Kelleher and Green, representatives of the Greymouth Returned Services’ Association.

The National Patriotic Fund Board supplied particulars of the accounting process used by the Army in connection with goods issued from patriotic sources.

The Food Controller advised that goods ordered for parcels would be sent forward. Mrs Shallcrass said that the district was now minus about 1,000 parcels as a result of the delay in sending the goods from Wellington. She asked if there was any necessity to buy the goods through the Board or I if the committees would procure them. I locally? The Secretary said that the question had been asked but had not been answered. He added that there were not many of the lines that could be bought locally. Mr Greenslade said that he had been asked to support a protest about the delay in the goods being sent to the district. The women were being delayed in getting their parcels away. He believed it was possible to get the goods locally at similar and even lower prices than through the Board and he thought the committees should be able to procure them as they required them. He trusted that the Council would take the matter up forcibly and have the position remedied. Mr Kent moved that any goods required for the parcels that could be secured locally at similar or lesser prices be so procured. He did not know if the committees had that power, but he thought it was obvious that if the goods could be secured locally they should be. Mr Kitchingham seconded the motion. He said that as a result of the delay in the goods coming forward 900 parcels that should have gone in February had not gone and now about 1,000 parcels were required this month, and it was almost impossible for the women to get the cases packed in the time. Mr Clayton said that the Reef ton district was also dissatisfied about not getting the goods ordered for the parcels as they had not been able to get the parcels away in time. If it was the Food Controller’s fault then it was time the Council shook him up. When it was not possible to keep the parcels up to date the people got disheartened and things started to drift. The Secretary stated that in the first place advice was received from the Board that canned goods would be scarce, and that in order to ensure supplies orders, should be placed with the Food Controller, and an inducement in the form of a lower price was also suggested. Mrs Shallcrass said that the tongues supplied were in tins of the same size as those procurable locally, and there was a big difference in the price in favour of the local supplies. The motion was carried unanimously. The Board wrote enquiring if any costumes were available that would be suitable for the use of the Kiwi' concert party in the Middle East.—lt I was decided that the Secretary make' inquiries. j The Board advised that any sports I gear and amenities for the R.N.Z.A.F. should be donated only with the permission of Air Headquarters and

should be sent to the Commanding Officer only. Colonel Waite, Cairo, Colin Cassells, New Caledonia, and K. Harwood, Norfolk Island, forvzarded reports on the activities in regard to comforts for servicemen and the distribution of comforts.

■ The joint Council of St. John and . the Red Cross Society wrote sub- - mitting a scheme drafted by the . Wellington Metropolitan Patriotic , Committee, whereby the Joint Coun- , cil would decide the means by which . funds were to be raised, and the • money applied to prisoners of war and sick and wounded; funds raised to be 5 paid to a special account, and paid > over from time to time with a certi- ’ fled statement; when approved, each Council to advise the respective com- . mittees of the district accordingly. It ; was stated that the co-operation of the Joint Council would be assured : with the adoption of such a scheme. — The Secretary’s reply approving the ; scheme was endorsed. : The Christchurch Welcome Club advised that Mrs Bean had agreed to ■ the tea to the services being given on Sunday, April 25. The tea is to be given by the Council with the : ance of West Coast residents in i Christchurch. Mrs Bean also wrote • in connection with the function and l stated that it was hoped to arrange a suitable Anzac night concert. The Board forwarded a statement i of its receipts and expenditure for ■ the four months to the end of i January. The financial statement of the . Council, showing the receipts for . 'March at £1,136/13/1 and payments i at £l,llO/12/5, the credit balance at £25,823/18/3 and the payment of . levies to March 31 £4,637/14/1, comi pared with the levy of £13.000 for the year was adopted and the Secretary was empowered to pay a further £750 to the Board. PUBLICITY AND RUMOURS Mr Greenslade moved that the Council issue a monthly bulletin for publication in the newspapers, the bulletin to cover the activities of the Council regarding the collection and state of the funds and the avenues in which the money was being spent so that the public would get a better undersstanding of what the patriotic funds meant. He said that though the needs were now greater in the fourth year of the war it had to be admitted that the collection of patriotic funds and the collectors were not popular with a certain section of the community. He did not know exactly where the wealmess was, but he knew that the efforts of a large number of patriotic workers were criticised by some sections, That weakness should be overcome. The people did not realise just how the moneys were expended nor through what expending agencies and he thought the issue of a bulletin at regular intervals would assist., It; must be proved to the people that the moneys were being expended in the right way and that the servicemen were getting the benefit. Mr Smeaton said he thought there: was quite a lot in what Mr Greenslade said. There had been a statementgoing round that the money collected was not for the men overseas and that the men overseas did not get it. It jwas very difficult to catch the people who started such stories. Then . therejwas another rumour that the Government took 2/6 out of every pound collected for Social Security and v|ar expenses. Again, there was a story that members ©f the Council were ipaid for attending meetings. • That sort of thing had to be counter- ' acted. In the Brunner district the commttee was now getting to work ■ iand hdd enlisted the aid of the mem- ; Ibers o‘ the industrial unions and also ; i others who were not members of ; I those unions and they thought that , .the funds would come in. Mr Kitchingham said he was glad; ; that mention had been made of some ■

of the rumours that had been circulated. Such rumours hindered >ho work of the committees. Anyone who believed that the Government t: ok any portion of the money collected was either stupid or deliberately blind to the fact of the matter. It had been stressed from the outset that the Government had no control whatever over the funds. Mr Grsenslade’s motion that a monthly bulletin be prepared for publication was carried.