Attempt To Revive Patriotic Spirit In Mangonui

Northern Advocate, 19 November 1941, Page 6

Attempt To Revive Patriotic Spirit In Mangonui

[Special to “Northern Advocate”] KAITAIA, This Day. IMMEDIATE ACTION TO MEET ITS FULL SHARE OF I PATRIOTIC FUND LIABILITIES IS TO BE TAKEN BY THE MANGONUI COUNTY COUNCIL. A public meeting is to be convened for 8 p.m. on December II for the purpose of re-forming* the patriotic committees of the county in order to raise the district’s quota of £6900 for the year 1942, and also the amount short of the present quota, £491. “It made both the clerk and myself feel very small when other county representatives at the zone meeting in Whangarei spoke of their districts being well over their quota and we had not reached our’s. Even little Whangaroa was well in excess,” the chairman (Mr. C. J. E. Barriball), told the Mangonui County Council at its monthly meeting on Tuesday. He said other counties of Northland had willingly agreed to take over Mangonui’s deficiency—a humiliating situation. Mangonui had been £491 short of its quota and the 1942 quota for the county was £6900.

EARLY START NEEDED “The sooner we get to work to raise our quota the easier it will be,” Mr. Barriball declared. “My advice would be to get to work immediately, set the committees working and start fund raising at once. “It is hard to find that we’re always far behind. It is no credit to our county if other counties can find their full share and we can not.”

“This county has been unfortunate.”® declared the clerk (Mr. C. McKinnon). ‘‘ln the first place the Red Cross appeal met with a good response, and then the Spitfire appeal also received great support. But neither of these efforts counted towards our quota. For the main issue people did not contribute soon enough or generously enough. “My own opinion,” added Mr. McKinnon, “is that the Government should take up the matter and strike a ievy, the same as the social security levy was struck'.'” He suggested that a definite effort might be got under way by February.

The chairman: There has been a lot ot talk about our boys not getting parcels. There was an instance, however, of an airman who had not received a parcel in all the 18 months he had been away. He had been shifting from place to place, but found the patriotic parcels had accumulated for film at his base, where he had duly collected ihem. Parallel cases would account for many of the criticisms levelled at the patriotic organisation. A suggestion that the scheme for dairy suppliers to give a day’s cream and workers a day’s pay, should be revived, was made by Cr. A. D. L. Shaw. “If that could be worked there would be no difficulty in getting our quota,” commented the chairman .“I would willingly give a day’s cream. With the co-operation of dairy companies, there appeared to be no reason why this scheme could not be worked, said Cr. F. Holder. He was prepared to give two days’ cream and he knew others who would act similarly. The council, he thought, could make a move in this direction. Women folk had worked —and were still working—splendidly and the shop men would give their day’s pay. Difficulties Anticipated “I think we can anticipate that the second attempt to raise money for patriotic purposes will - be* a failure,” said Cr. I. J. Berghan. He suggested that endeavours to obtain money through the dairy companies was making for class distinc-tion-getting at the dairyman and not at the wtge-earner. In the taxation department there was an organisation that could handle the collection of money on a basis fair to everyone. The Government had made promises to the men going overseas and the fulfilling of them was a Government responsibility, Cr. Berghan declared. The Government had conscripted men and there was no reason against it conscripting money for the troops The council should take a stand. The chairman (Mr Barriball): It .< • no good one county alone making a stand.

Secretary Seeks Relief Mr. McKinnon also sought relief from the secretaryship' of the patriotic organisation, although he was quite willing to retain the position of treasurer. The selection of new committees might mean the rebirth of enthusiasm, the old personnel having stood the brunt of the original campaign. The regular contribution of firms and individuals —even of small amounts —provided the surest method of raising funds, Mr. McKinnon said. “I am not in agreement with leaving the appeal until after the Christmas holidays,” said Cr. A. D. L. Shaw. One other small inter-zone, which had apparently not quite reached its quota, planned to do so before the end of the year. Cr. Shaw could not see why Mangonui could not do the same.

Insidious Propaganda Insidious propaganda, he said, was one of the greatest troubles. Rumours, afterwards officially discounted, were used by some as an excuse for failing to contribute. “We failed, and other counties have had to shoulder our burden,” Cr. Shaw said. The only equitable way out of the difficulty would be a levy on rates. While it might be argued that the Government would take control of the fund if such a levy were made, Cr. Shaw said he believed the Government would control the funds in the end. no matter what happened. Chairman: There will be a fight if they try to. A levy, added to the social security law, would mean all people paying their share, Cr. Shaw said. There were men holding down jobs that soldiers had vacated yet who were not prepared to contribute to the patriotic funds. Others were contributing more heavily than they could afford.

“To ask the Government to help us out of the mess doesn’t sound quite right,” remarked Cr. Matthews. “In the Northland zone the other counties have more than contributed their share. After wc have reached our quota it might sound more reasonable to make the request. We are an isolated county that has fallen short.” Part of the county’s population was Maoris and part was not British born. While these sections might be reluctant to contribute. Mangonui could still clear its books if everyone put their shoulders to the wheel,* declared Cr. Matthews. Wise to Test Feeling “I think it would be wise if you got the feeling of other county representatives at the forthcoming counties’ association conference in so far as the levying of a tax is concerned,” said Cr. F. Holder. “It would be the right way to get at the people who do not pay their share.” If the whole district were approached as he suggested, the appeal to dairymen through the dairy companies would not mean class distinction, said Cr. Shaw. The motion calling a public meeting in December and recommending that the district be widely circulated, was carried.

“However. I would like.to see a big effort made here straight away,” Mr. Shaw concluded. “There is nothing to stop any local committee getting under way immediately,” said the chairman. “Reading the account in the ‘Northern Advocate,’ I can feel with the chairman and secretary,' when Mr. Jones, at the Whangarei meeting, expressed disappointment at Mangonui’;; response,” said Cr. L. J. Matthews. Late Starters He supported the belief that the Red. Cross and Spitfire appeals had caused some Mangonui people to “shoot their bolt” of patriotic giving before the: main appeal had started, and also attributed part of the trouble to the lato start in making the appeal proper. Get to work at once and appoint new committees when they are wanted was his advice.

Re-Establish Mangonui “If wc start early and keep on going, Mangonui will be re-estab-lished as one of the financial centres in the Northland Zone,” Cr. Matthews declared. Good organisers were needed, said Cr. J. W. Hoskin. People had been apointed who later proved to be not enthusiastic. “One thing that hurts is that some people contribute over and over again, while others, in a position to give much, contribute nothing,” he stated. “There are some who do not seem to know there is a war on. They are interested only in what they are getting out of it.” A patriotic appeal must be made to the people of the county. They would not be prepared to sit back and see Mangonui always at the foot of the ladder. Strong Organisation Needed A strong organisation should be set up with enthusiasts at its head. The spirit of giving should be kept at concert pitch all the time. Cr. Hoskin .said he would like to see. the remainder of this year’s quota wiped off. Illustrating how the patriotic efforts of New Zealanders were resulting in benefit to the men overseas, Cr. Hoskin said that his son in Egypt had spoken in a recent letter of attending a mobile picture theatre provided from New Zealand patriotic funds. “People should realise that the money they are, giving will do something for our hoys,” Cr. Hoskin declared.