HERALD PATRIOTIC FUND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15730, 3 October 1914, Page 8

HERALD PATRIOTIC FUND.

TOTAL OP £9497 DECEIVED Subscriptions received yesterday increased the total amount in the Herald Patriotic Fum> to £9497 Os 4d. rarticulars of the additions are as followsir- £ s. d. Maurice Halo ... • 5 5 0 lira. E. Nicholson ... .' ... 10 0 X. J Coxhead, Te Kiri 0 10 0

CITIZENS' DONATIONS. P - . _____ ■ TOTAL OF £49,260 114 HAND. A total of £171 14s 3d was added to the Citizens' Patriotic Fund yesterday, bringing tho grand total to £49,260 14s Id. Details of yesterday's contributions are as follows: j £ s. d. ! T. 8 Culling 75 0 0 Staff of John Burns 42 14 0 Clerical staff of Great Northern Brewery 17 0 0 Westfield Abattoirs' employees 11 14 3 Employees of Brown and Stewart 10 0 0 Employees of G. Niccol, £7; teachers of Auckland Education district, first contribution, £3 15s; J. Andrew, £2 2s; employees of D. O'Sullivan, £2; Sympathiser, 9s. The local Belief Committee met yesterday morning, when 21 new cases of distress arising out of the war were considered. Amounts varying from 7s to 17s were allocated in the different cases.

MAORI VOLUNTEERS. ! MEN OVER WEIGHT LIMIT. WOMEN WANT TO FIGHT. [BT TELEGBATII. —FBESS ASSOCIATION.] Gisbohsf, Friday. The Maoris of the district have thrown themselves heart and soul into the arrangements for the projected native expeditionary force. To-day, when the Gisborne contingent of 16 was selected, some hundreds came forward. They were a magnificent stamp of men, in some cases standing as high as 6ft bin and -weighing as much 'as 16st without an ounce of fat upon .their bodies, it was quite pathetic to see the , disappointment on # the faces of the young giants when told that the weight limit was 12st. Among the volunteers were & number of stalwart " wahines," who became quite indignant when they were told that ladies could not be accepted. "I can shoot a3 well as any man who ever stepped," declared one Maori maiden, who expressed utter 6Corn for the incomprehensible ways of the. pakeba in despatching an army of men to fight without their women being there to look after them.

CANTEEN CHARGES. MR. TARR'S SUGGESTION. [BY telegraph.—spectsl CQRSESFONPEXT.] Wellington", Friday. The canteen charges as affecting the Auckland section of tho expeditionary force, have .been brought under the notice of the Minister for Defence, the Hon. J. Allen, by the Mayor of Auckland, Mr. C. J. Parr. It was suggested to the Minister by Mr. Parr that a course that -would give general satisfaction would be for the Government to take, over the control of the canteens and to charge prices only a little in advance of cost.

Mr. Allen said that, as already indicated in the House on Tuesday, he was endeavouring to make an arrangement in this direction and that lie was hopeful that it would be possible to arrive at the necessary agreement with all the contracting firms.

Notice has been given By Mr..Russell iron) to move for a return " giving articulars. of the means by which applications or tenders were invited for provisioning the "canteens, the list of applications or tenders received, the applications accepted, the schedules supplied to tenderers ■ or applicants, and other necessary particulars to enable the House to understand -what has been done in the matter."

DETAINED GERMAN CARGO.

SOUTHERN IMPORTERS' ACTION. [by teleqbaph.— ASSOCIATION.] Dttnedin,- Friday. A meeting of those interested in cargoes on German boats detained in Sydney, Capetown, and other ports, was held this afternoon at the instance of the Chamber of Commerce. After discussion it was decided to recommend the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce to act in the matter of the ships detained at Capetown, in conjunction with other New Zealand chambers, in bringing the position before the Government.

A STRIKING CONTRAST. FRENCH AND GERMAN OFFICERS. A letter describing -the passage of French troops through a small Belgian town says the inhabitants ran out and pressed rolls, sandwiches, fruit, chocolate, on the men,! besides giving them cigars, cigarettes, and tobacco. | Tho officers mostly said: " Give them to , the men, please;" though two or three officers seemed to be really hungry, and asked for bread. What was very nice to see was the way they shared up everything. Give it to one of the ethers. I have had some already." That I heard many say. It was raining hard, but they halted for a while by the cemetery and sang some songs. One or two dragoons with good voices sang alone, and all joined in the choruses. Suddenly came an order. They jumped into their saddles again. "Au revoirl Au revoir!" they cried, and waved their hands as they trotted off, standing up in their stirrups to see the last of us.

The feeling between German officers and i men must be very different if there are \ many officers like the one of whom Pro- I fessor R. Blanchard writes from Brussels to the Temps. He says he found a German officer in a hospital there with three privates. He was furious at, being " herded" with them, and refused even to act as interpreter bet them and the Belgian hospital orderlies. He would have nothing to do with them, he disdainfully said.

The Devonport Ferry Company announces a number of excursions for tomorrow. Steamers will leave The Ferries at short intervals for the Devonport military camp.