RAISING PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3249, 7 April 1943, Page 6

RAISING PATRIOTIC FUNDS

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —The Coromandel Inter-Zone Patriotic Committee’s secretary disclosed in his report that one subcommittee has resigned. Lest some other sub-committee should be blamed —or mayhap credited’—with having resigned, I wish to attach the responsibility where it rightly belongs.

The Kuaotunu Patriotic Committee unanimously decided' to resign in a body, the reason being, that while being allocated a given amount to collect, the committee had no power to collect, except from the willing ones. From the outset—and this committee was formed at- the commencement of the war—we favoured direct giving, as being the most economical and equitable method'. By this' method we were comparatively successful, as for results. We met all calls for parcels, hussifs and funds, with the exception of £2 odd in the 1942 appeal. Besides, we gave a good farewell present to each of twelve soldiers going overseas.

Now, sir, to do all this we levied many returned soldiers of the last war, some of whom have sons in this war, and men with large families, some having been in the district only a few months and they all paid up. On the other hand, however, to quote one example only, from a single man and his father who run over a thousand sheep, the sum total we could get was an old black rooster for which a' returned man gave six shillings. The committee felt that it could no longer work and thereby condone, such an iniquitous system so resigned to make way for a new committee. The Coromandel Inter-Zone Secretary quoted the Wellington conference as having overwhelmingly rejected the taxation proposal. By whom were those delegates elected and would it matter a hoot whether the funds so collected were Government funds or not? Surely that .would not affect their purchasing power. The taxation method would be far more economical and certainly more equitable. The suggestion was 3d in the £ to produce approximately £3,000,000. After paying this small additional tax, those whose money was still dragging their trousers down could, I am sure, easily find some useful avenue through which to ease the strain.—l am, etc.,

T. E. SIMPSON, Chairman, Kuaotunu Sub. Pat. Comm. Kuaotunu, 29/3/43.