GEORGE V. MEMORIAL

Grey River Argus, 24 April 1937, Page 4

GEORGE V. MEMORIAL

STATEMENT BY THE ACTINGPRIME MINISTERWELLINGTON. April 23. Some local authorities seem to be under a misapprehension as to their powers to contribute to th ( > Kung George the Fifth National Memorial Fund, which is being raised for the purpose of establishing . pciijianen children’s health camps in the. Dominion, and a statement of their position was made to-day by the ActingPrime 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 the next session of Parlia-

ment. The camps, he said, would be more than a great social service. They would also be a memorial to a King who reigned over the British Commonwealth of Nations for over twentyfive years, and he felt sure that the two-fold spirit .of the appeal would meet with a nation-wide response. “If the whole of the fund were supplied by the Government,’ said Mr Fraser, “it would not bo a national memorial of the people themselves. In the same way, if the whole of the money were contributed by the local bodies, th e appeal would still lack the response which the Government, the Right Hon. G. W. Forbes, the Leader of the Opposition (the Hon. Adam Hamilton), and others associated with it, desire. “It is our wish that the local bodies should contribute according to their means, biit what is more important, we ask them to co-operate with the Government in organising the response of the citizens within their areas. It s suggested that this could best be done by the Mayors and chairmen of local authorities arranging for the.setting up of local committees and enlisting the aid of local organisations of every kind in seeking donations and devising methods of raising funds. In some districts, through the lack of local organisations, there arc no appropriate channels through which the people may respond to the appeal. “As far as possible the amounts raised in the various districts will be credited to those districts. In his communications with national organisations, the Prime Minister made it clear that he did not wish all the money to be sent direct to the Government' in Wellington. Rather he desired the local branches of these national organisations to co-operate with the local committees and to pay their collections and contributions into the local fund, whether it be administered by the Mayor, the county or town board chairman, or the local newspaper. At the same time, however, they are asked to advise the national body so that each national organisation will bo in a position, when the fund closes, to state what its branches and its members have contributed.’’ £750 DONATIONWELLINGTON, April 23. New Zealand Breweries, Ltd-, has given £750 to the King George V Memorial Fund. The amount is to be paid through the Mayor’s funds in various districts, as follows: Auckland £2OO, Gisborne £5O, Wellington £L5O,i Christchurch £l5O, Timarn £5O, Dunedin £l5O.