PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

Northern Advocate, 15 August 1919, Page 2

PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

E.S.A. QUERIES. THE POINTS EXPLAINED,

WELLINGTON. This Day,

Mr Douglas Sejrmour, General Sec retary of the Seturnei Soldiers' As sociation,, has written to the Minis ter of Internal Affairs as follows:—

"At a recent date the executive of my association appointed a committee to collect information i»D the general position in reference to war funds. A3 a preliminary inquiry it obtained a number of balance-sheets of war organisations, and Jias devoted some time to the examination of them.

'A report was forimilnted and submitted confidentially to our recent conference in Christehurch. and as a result I have been instructed to bring before your notice a number of mat ters in connection with the balancesheets obtained by my executive from the Y.M.C.A-.

"The principal points are enumerat ed in the accompanying statement, and copies of the balance-sheets in question are attached and marked. The conference was of opinion that if the deductions from the balancesheets are correct a meet disquieting state of affairs is and considered that the matter was all the more urgent m view of the continued disbursing by the V.M.C A. of its war funds. "My executive trusts that you will authorise an investigation of the situation immediately, and would be glad to know of the result. In justice to the V.M.C.A. the executive naturally wishes first to assure itself of the accuracy of its deductions, and in the meanwhile considers that this matter should be treated as confidential* and upon verification contemplates appropriate public action.

"I should, therefore, be glad if you would kindly indicate at your earliest convenience the results of your inquiries, and any action proposed by your Department. r niay add tJlat on the prima facie results of its investigation, and subject to their veri fieation, my executive is strongly of opinion that a Royal Commission is desirable to investigate matters relat ing to the disbursement of war funds, to supervise the liquidation of assets in connection with tl>em, and to frame recommendations as to their ultimate disposal."