PATRIOTIC COUNCIL

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 September 1944, Page 8

PATRIOTIC COUNCIL

MEETING AT GREYMOUTH

Mr A. R. Elcock presiefed over an attendance of the following members at a meeting of the Westland Patriotic Council at Greymouth last evening:—Mrs F. IV. Shallcrass, Messrs F. A. Kitchingham, W. Green, J’ B Kent, N. Messenger, AV. Clayton, C. Hart, W. A. Nicol, T.' G. Jamieson, E. W. Kennedy, 11. <v. G. Park (Secretary). The Chairman welcomed Mr Nicol, a new member representing the Hokitika R.S.A. The financial statement for August, as follows, was adopted:— Receipts: Ross £1; Wataroa v\ .1. £1; Kirkpatrick and Co., refund, £l2 16/8; New Zealand Railways staff. £23/9/8; Inangahua Committee’s radio appeal, £77/3/9; sporting event per M. Houston, £l4/11/6; Hokitika Savings Bank, £10; Union Bank interest F.D., £2O; Government stock, £9/7/6, Ross Committee, £3B/11/6; Grey County Committee, £B/14/6: Inangahua County Committee, £lO6 0/6.

N.P.F.B. Joint Council collections: May and June Sick and Wounded, Hokitika, £2, Greymouth, £3/12/-: Shaw Savill, £l7/18/5; Reclamation waste, Greymouth, £lO5/17/6; Reclamation waste, Hokitika, £7O/11/3; Public Service Association, £10:

Stale Fire, £27/12/-; P. and T. Department, £69; Broadcasting, £.13 16/-; N.Z.R., £34710/-; Elec. Section P.W.D., £69; National Commercial Broadcasting, £l3/16/-; Native Department, £2/15/2 —£440/8/4. Okarito residents, £5; P. and T. .staff, Hokitika (23rd instalment, total £108) £3; Inangahua Committee £76/1/6; Butler Bros. Ltd. and employees, £3O; Weheka Committee, £35/18/-; Kokatahi Shop Day, £3O 7/6; Hokitika Committee, £3B/18/11; Hokitika Committee, £26/7/4; Grey County, £lB/9/9; Hokitika Committee, £9O; Koiterangi Committee, £3| 3/-; Waiho Committee. £5; Kanieri: Committee, £5/1/9. Total. .£ 1070 i 11/8.

Expenditure; Hokitika Women's .Auxiliary, £l/17/6; Greymouth Women’s Imprest Branch, £l6/13/9; Internal Marketing parcels, £lB/18/-; Unity Drugs, £24/18/5. Total £62 7/8. a

Deposits and securities, £30,605 11/-. Credit Current Account £3210 12/1.

1943-44 Provincial Lew: Greymouth Borough £5711/15/7 (levy £3820); Hokitika Borough £1414 5/2 ( £1226); Runanga Borough £lB4 16/- (£506); Ross Borough £lB3/7/7 > Kum , ai ’a Borough £ll5/9/(£110); Brunner Borough £lO2 113/9 ( £430); Westland County £1874 Grey County £612! XL- ,LL 2140): Biangahua County! W5 7 °( / f / 12.0 ( 0O 1368) - T ° talS: £1I ’ 874 i In reply to Mr. Kitchingham, the .Chairman said that about £5OOO remained to be paid to the Board on i account of the Westland quota for the year closing on September 30. It was decided Io make a further payment of £3OOO on account of the I quota. I OVERDUE LEVIES I Referring to the fact that’the Grey i County had paid in only £612/16/7 on account of its levy of £2,140, Mr. | Kitchingham said the small sum laised was a disgrace considering the amount of money in the County’s district and the population. Reference was also made to the iT7n n o^om orough ’ s Payment of only ! oi2/ /13/9 as against its levy of It was decided to urge the committees concerned to make further efforts after the Victory Loan campaign.

The Postmaster, Hokitika, wrote inviting subscriptions to the Victory Loan, but no action was taken, the Chairman pointing out that the Council had had only £3,210/12/1 in the current account, and had decided to pay £3,000 to the National Board on account of the levy, on which a further £2,000 had to be } S The Officer Commahding the No. 36 Squadron, Air Training Corps, wrote inviting donations of equipment for the Squadron Headquarters at Greymouth.—The request was referred to the Greymouth Patriotic Committee.

With reference to correspondence on the subject of the recent radio appeal Mr. Green asked if all the money promised in the appeal had been collected?

The Chairman said that all the Hokitika promises were redeemed.

and Mr. Kitchingham said that nearly all the money promised at' Greymouth had been collected. The Nelson Provincial Council forwarded a copy of the • reply of the Minister of Railways (Mr. Semple) to a request that concession fares should be granted to merchant seamen, the Minister stating that the proposal had been considered but in view of the wide avenues which would be opened by such concessions, the request had been declined. The National Patriotic Fund Board wrote offering supplies of American sweets for inclusion in parcels.—The offer was declined, it being stated that suitable arrangements had already been made with a New Zealand firm.

Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Taranaki) wrote asking particulars of any patriotic welfare policy adopted by the Council.—lt was decided to advise t Mr. Wilkinson that the Westland | Council did not have hard and fast, i'll les on the subject of welfare disbursements, and that the policy of I the Council was to use the welfare funds for assistance in emergencies and not as continuous relief. The National Board wrote stating that the profits from patriotic race meetings would be distributed pro rata among all Councils. The amount in hand was over £31,000 ynd the Minister of Finance had agreed to re- j mil taxation on a £ for £• basis, with the result that over £62,000 j would be available for distribution.

It was stated that on a pro rata basis Westland’s share would be about £BOO.

The Otago Council wrote asking if the Westland Council was making routine grants to men on discharge and if such grants were being made was there a set sum granted? 'rhe Chairman said that the matter of routine grants was well thrashed out at the last conference when it was resolved that no such grants should be made, Westland, at that time making grants on discharge, was held up as a horrible example of the transgressor. ' It was decided to advise the Otago Council that no routine grants were made but that each case was dealt with on its merits. The Chairman’s action in nominating Mr. E. R. Neale, Mayor of Nelson, as representative of Nelson, Marlborough, and Westland on the National Board for a further period of one year, was approved. Correspondence was received regarding an art union being conducted by the Federation of Labour for the Wellington Provincial Council.

It was stated that the prizes totalled £6,000, including a house and section at Paekakariki, and a motor car, and the tickets were being sold at one shilling each, and that if any Council wished to participate it could do so, all sales being credited to the dis-

trict in which the tickets were sold. —The Chairman’s action in advising the Wellington Council that Westland would participate was approved, and the Council decided to procure tickets to the value of £lOOO.

The Chairman, the Secretary, and Messrs. Kitchingham and Nicol were appointed a sub-committee to draft

rules for 5 the Council regarding its constitution and operation.