RED TRIANGLE DAY.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 24 January 1918, Page 3

RED TRIANGLE DAY.

V.M.C.A. WAR WORK

DOMINION APPEAL ON

MARCH 15

THE Minister of Internal Affairs has given approval to the V.M.C.A. for a public appeal for funds to assist the war work of that Association. Following a meeting of the executive of the War Committee last week it was announced that March 15th had been fixed for the day of the appeal which was to be known as " Red Triangle Day."

The following statement, explaining the necessity for the appeal, was subsequently made by the War Committee of the ■V.M.C.A.:—

"As the prolongation of the War involves another winter's campaign, with its inevitable hardships for our men, it is imperative that the National Council take immediate steps to raise sufficient funds to maintain the present service to New Zealand troops and to meet the urgent requests that are being received almost daily from military authorities and other sources, for the extension of that service. Thus it has been decided to hold ' Red Triangle Day' Qn March 15th, this day to be the culmination of a series of efforts throughout the Dominion, excepting Auckland Provine, which recently raised over £46,000 for our war funds. The National Council desire to state that ever since the commencement of the war the policy of both the British and New Zealand Councils has been to meet every reasonable request made by the military authorities to serve the men so far as the available funds would allow. For instance, last year the balance sheet of the British National Council, after three years of war, disclosed the fact that although , the total transactions of the Council exceeded one and a quarter million pounds the balance to credit was only a few pounds. At one period in the present year they were £150,000 overdrawn. - The last balance sheet of the New Zealand Council showed a credit balance of £20,000, which has since been expended on the service of the soldiers. But for the timely and generous effort made in the Auckland Province recently funds would have by now been almost exhausted.

In view of the many occasions arising from time to time when the immediate expenditure of large sums is rendered imperative by the ever-changing military conditions, it is impossible to prepare any reliable budget of expenditure that may not be largely exceeded. This condition of things, inseparable from war, makes it necessary for the Council to always have sufficient funds in hand for at least six to 12 months ahead. The Council, which is composed of representative business men throughout the Dominion, have, ever since the beginning of the war, not been satisfied to merely collect funds in New Zealand and remit them for expenditure abroad, but several members of that body have personally gone in an honorary capacity and at their own -expense, to see that those funds have been properly and economically administered. The public, therefore, may have every confidence in entrusting this body with money which, in every case, is spent directly in ameliorating the lot of the men in our fighting forces."