PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

North Otago Times, Volume CVI, Issue 13975, 10 September 1917, Page 1

PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

PUBLIC. SUBSCRIPTIONS, A, MAGNIFICENT EECORD. =■. ; ; WELLINGTON,' September' 0. "A magnificent. record-,- arid one of which the country may be justifiably proud," These were the words used by the Hon, G. W. Kusscll in presenting to Parliament this afternoon a paper showing the amounts collected.disbursed, and held by .patriotic societies of New Zealand. The collections and donations (including interest) and the balauce in hand at March 31,1917, for the various, provicial. districts' arc .given as follows: — : Collections. In hand. £ £. Auckland 600,825 -100,851 Hawlce's Bay . 160,261.. 112,453 Taranald .... 70,439 43,372 Wellington . , 837,944. 380,771 Marlborough . . 44,72(1 .25,107 Nelson 47,370 34,143 Westlnnd . . . 25,274 8,3(18. Canterbury . . 486,728 253,207 Otago , 305,820 137,750 Southland ~ . 89,086 72,637 . Defunct societies 25,715 36 Total . . , £2,009,188 £1,474,785 The expenditure figures show that £113,726 has been spent in giving direct relief to soldiers and their dependants; £76,998 on equipment, farowdh, and presentations; £292,680 on comforts for troops' mid lied Cross (iiwhvlir.g St. John Ambulance, Lady Liverpool, and Victoria Leagues); £318,785 or, Belgian relief; '£76,883 on oth.'r allies; £105,257' on Navy relief; and £50,074 on administrative expenses, In addition to the amount collected by societies there have been large sums sent i to the Government ■ from private donors and from the result of special' .•ollcctions, so that the actual fash collections recorded to March 31, 1917, ,vere as follow: Collected by societies, £2.509,1 S8; received by the Department of Internal Affairs for transmission abroad, hospital ships, New Zealand sick and wounded'and other special purposes (over and above amounts forwarded by patriotic societies), £240,319; lonnted' at the outbreak of the war to f he New Zealand Government towards war expenses and special objects, £159,i::7; donated to the National War Funds Council, £15,33(1; poininion schools' contribution to Belgian Children's Fund, £1.8,3(11; -total amount of moneys collected, £2,9-12,338. The value of contributions of goods, stock, produce, etc., of which the Department of Internal Affairs had been notified was £298,335; Government contribution and subsidy to Belgian relief, £228,145; the total contribution in money and goods notified to the Department being £3,488,818. Moneys and goods ■ contributed by private individuals or institutions and forwarded direct are not ascertainable, The contribution per head of population, as worked out by a member of the House, is as follows: Hawlce's Bay, £3l4s 8d; Wellington, £2 19s 2d; Marlborough, £2 14s lid; Canterbury, £2 14s 9d; Otago, £2 Gs 4d; Auckland, £2 Is lid; Westland, £ll2s sd; Southland, £1 10s, Id; Taranaki, £1 9s 7d;' Nelson, £.l 0s Bd,