Y.M.C.A. WAR WORK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16497, 24 March 1917, Page 8

Y.M.C.A. WAR WORK.

♦ EFFORT TO RAISE FUNDS., •. SUM OF £25,000 REQUIRED. J i. The Citizens' Committee, formed some :•- weeks ago for the purpose of raising funds * for Y.M.C.A. war work at the front, met e yesterday afternoon, when Mr. Chas. a Rhodes, the chairman, presided over a a | good attendance. i- After an address by Mr. H. M. Smeei ton, who recently returned from France, " where he had been active as one of the commissioners appointed by the National Committee of the Y.M.C.A. to organise war work, it was unanimously decided to start a campaign throughout the province , on April 15 to raise a fund of £25,000 instead of £12,000, as was originally intended. The campaign will be continued for two weeks. In the course of his address, Mr. Smeeton detailed the work performed by the Y.M.C.A., and pointed out that it was the only organisation of tho kind operating in the front-line trenches. An offer by the New Zealand Insurance Company of the free use of the offices recently vacated by it in the old post office building in Shortland Street was accepted. r Mr. E. Anderson, who proffered his " services for the campaign, was appointed J hon. secretary. Messrs. H. M. Smceton, ,t C. H. Poole, M.P., and Mr. C. J. Parr, j. M.P., offered their services as lecturers ' in the interest of the effort. _ 0 Teams are at present being organised '" to canvass the business houses of the city and suburbs. i WOMEN TO ASSIST IN CAMPAIGN. h . i PATRIOTIC LEAGUE CO-OPERATES. e i A deputation from the Y.M.C.A. Citis zen's Committee, consisting of Messrs. C. » Rhodes, W, E. Bush, J. C. Spedding, and e P. J. Kenny, attended a meeting of the - executive of the Women's Patriotic 3 League yesterday, with a view to, obtaini ing assistance in the forthcoming camv paign for funds for war work. Mr. Bush, . who introduced tho deputation, said, that 3 a twelve-day campaign to raise funds s for work among the men at the front B would be commenced on April 15, and ' they felt that the Won\cn s Patriotic r League could render most valuable assist--3 ance by introducing the campaign in coun- . try districts. Up to the end of last year sums amounting to £64,000 had been ! raised in tho Dominion for Y.M.C.A. war . work; of this amount only £4000 had been )■; contributed by Auckland—-less than from 1 any other centre. The National Council was at the present time forwarding £4000' a month for war work, £1000 of which was spent in distributing free comforts to the men in the firing-line. This was a most important and useful branch of the work, ensuring to tho soldiers after coming off duty hot drinks and other comforts which helped greatly to cheer them after a day's hard fighting. Mr. Rhodes and Mr. J. C. Spedding also., addressed those present, Mr. Rhodes remarking that for tho sake of the credit of the province Auckland must do better than heretofore in the matter of contribur tions to this work. ' The matter was fully discussed by mem- . hers after the deputation withdrew, and lit was unanimously decided that the r [ league should assist the campaign, also & j issue circulars to nil branch leagues and 1 members of the city league, requesting* I j their aid. A sub-committee consisting of '. i the t president, Mrs. Gunson, secretary, 3 I Miss Spedding, and Mesdames Maguire, 1 I Eliot Davis and Miss Harvey was ap--3 pointed to arrange preliminaries. f j '==