PATRIOTIC APPEAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 4 December 1940, Page 6

PATRIOTIC APPEAL

WELLINGTON RESPONSE LAGGING fUnited Press Association] WELLINGTON, This Day. That the Wellington effort for the £ 1,000,000 patriotic appeal was lagging behind that of other centres was stressed by Mr J. Abel, honorary Dominion organiser, in an address to members of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce last night, Mr Abel also said that to the best of his knowledge not one penny had been raised in the province for rehabilitation. A queen carnival was to be held at the end of January, and, following his request. the chamber agreed to take steps to secure the full co-operation of the commercial community with the representatives of the metropolitan patriotic organisations in this move. Some people said, “Let us win the war and then talk of rehabilitation,” said Mr Abel. He pointed out that in Otago the sum of £60.000. already collected. had been earmarked for rehabilitation. Nelson had earmarked £13,500 for the same purpose, and the East Coast £23.000. To the best of his knowledge, not a single penny had been ruiscJ in the; Wellington province for rehabilitation, j said Mr Abel, who made it clear that | rehabilitation was not repatriation. It i represented the bridging of the period which would exist between the men returning and getting into employment. Mr Abel said he did not desire to knock back those who had already done excellent work in raising and contributing to patriotic funds, but the fact was that in the £1,000.000 appeal Wellington was a long way behind other provinces. Its quota was £200,000. Last week • the amount raised was £45.000. In the metropolitan area, for which the quota was £IOO,OOO, the amount last week was £9453. GRATIFYING REPORTS RECEIVED WELLINGTON. This Day. Gratifying reports of patriotic efforts have been received by Mr Abel. hon. Dominion Organiser of the £1.000.000 appeal. Several districts are well on the way to attainment of their quota and one is well advanced towards doubling it The Mayor of Pahiatua states that by means of a queen carnival £4,658 was raised, greatly exceeding the district quota of £3OOO. Pahiatua is second only to Waipukurau. which is well on the way to doubling its quota. It is reported from the Waikato that up to last evening 43.000 was in hand, with a further £IOOO in sight, making £44.000 of the quota of £45.000. The Waikato zone was particularly to be commended, said Mr Abel, for in the Sick. Wounded and Distress Fund and the present appeal the contributions were more than £1 for every man, woman and child in the zone. FLED THE COUNTRY (Received 4th December. 2.0 p.m.) j LONDON. 3rd December. | The Budapest correspondent of the! Associated Press of America says that M. Gigurtu and M. Monoilescu have fled to Germany to escape the Iron Guards, j M. Tartarescu is reported to be at- j tempting to reach Yugoslavia. j > I