PATRIOTIC FUND

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20074, 21 October 1939, Page 4

PATRIOTIC FUND

GROUND-WORK LAID

PROVINCIAL AUTHORITY EFFORTS ENCOURAGED REGULATION EXPLAINED “Anyone who wishes to proceed with patriotic work can now go ahead at full pressure. The organisation for controlling patriotic activity is complete, and applications for authority to carry on practical collections can be obtained by responsible persons or organisations,” said the Mayor, Mr. D. W. Coleman, M.P., af a meeting of the Provincial Centennial Council, held yesterday afternoon to inaugurate the work of that council under the recent regulations governing war funds.

The discussions at the meeting made it clear that all patriotic projects must be authorised either by the Provincial Centennial Council, or by the county councils of the respective areas in the provincial districts, which have been designated as areacon.trolling bodies. All funds raised must be accounted for to the provincial council, but provision is made for that body to use the collective agencies also as spending agencies. Thus a committee which raises m'oney for a specific object, approved by the controlling authority, also may be permitted to disburse the funds on their own projects.

The meeting was presided over by Mr. D. W. Coleman, M.P., and was attended by a large proportion of the personnel of the Provincial Centennial Council. Subdivisional Controllers Commenting upon the change in the situation created by the new legislation the Mayor stated that it seemed desirable to enlarge the scope of the council. He thought that each county council should be appointed to carry on patriotic work in their respective area.

Colonel R. F. Gambrill, suggested that the more remote councils should act as subdivisional controllers, but that probably it would be more convenient for the Gisborne Borough and Cook County to be administered by the same body.

The Centennial Council was obliged to supervise all moneys raised, and authorise the means taken to raise funds, but he considered that it could well use bodies now organised in the actual promotion of patriotic efforts. All these foodies should have representatives On the Centennial Council, but it would be advisable not to have too large a council.

The Mayor agreed with that view. He remarked that some people appeared to believe that the central authority would be in Wellington. The fact was that control of district funds would be vested in this council, which cbuld approve any effort. The Mayor aded that some such control was very necessary, judging by what he had learned in Wellington concerning the waste of money during the Great War. Overshadowing Centennial Work Mr. F. R. Ball, asked whether subcommittees of the council would operate in respect of patriotic efforts in the same way as for centennial efforts? The Mayor replied that that was to be decided. He felt that patriotic work was likely to overshadow the centennial executive. Mr. Ball thought that for collecting purposes it might be better to set up a larger general committee, to which some authority should be delegated. This view was favoured by other speakers, who, however, considered that the general committee should not be too large. Mr. A. G. Hicks, asked that the Waiapu County Council’s position should be defined. The Coast people wished tb .give every assistance to the movement, but they wanted to have some say in controlling their own funds.

Tiie secretary, Mr. W. M. Jenkins., pointed out that the Waiapu County Council would receive authority from the Provincial Centennial Council to control funds in its area. All efforts would have to be supervised by the Centennial Council, or by an authorised committee for a' particular district.

Authority for Expenditure

A discussion took place on the stations to be accorded to the various county councils, and, on Colonel Gambrill’s motion, it was decided to appoint the Cook, Uawa, Waiapu, Waikohu, and Matakaoa county councils as area authorities. It was pointed out that expenditure of provincial funds would have to be authorised by the provincial council, thought individual bodies could be used as spending agencies as well as collection agencies, the Centennial Council being purely administrative. It was decided that separate accounts would be opened for the respective areas controlled by county authorities, this being an encouragement to the different areas.

On the motion of Colonel Gambrill, it was agreed that the Poverty Bay Women’s Central Representation Committee be asked to appoint two representatives on the provincial council. i

Authority was delegated to controlling area committees to sponsor various efforts to raise patriotic funds.

Messrs. D. W. Coleman, M.P., and F. R. Ball, and Colonel R. F. Gambrill were appointed to act as a campaign committee to appoint collecting bodies for the Gisborne area.

The council dealt also with several formal matters relative to the setting up of the sub-committees and the administration of funds. It was decided to hold a further meeting in a fortnight to consider patriotic measures.