DISBURSING FUNDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20792, 7 February 1931, Page 12

DISBURSING FUNDS

CENTRAL COMMITTEE PERSONNEL ANNOUNCED. METHOD OF PROCEDURE. LOCAL ORGANISATIONS. CO-OPERATION NEEDED —r[BY .TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION. 1 WELLINGTON. Friday Concerning his appeal to the people of New Zealand for financial assistance to relieve as far as possible the desperate plight of sufferers from the earthquake in Hawke's Bay, the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon G. W. Forbes, announces that as a result of a meeting of Cabinet ifc has been decided that the personnel of the Central Committee to administer the rolief fund shall be as follows:—The Prime Minister (chairman), the Hon. E. A. Ransom, Minister of Lands, the Leader of the Opposition, the. Leader, of the Labour Party ; Messrs. W. R. Barnard, H. M. Campbell, A. E. Jull, and W. D. Lysnar, M.P.'s, representing the districts affected by the earthquake, the Mayors of Auckland. Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, Major A. H. Bathurst. Military Secretary to the Gover-nor-General, the Public Trustee, the the engineer-in-chlof of the Public Works Department, the Under-Secretary of Lands, and the Valuer-General. Five members of, the committee will constitute a quorum, and the Public Trustee will be the executive officer of the. committee. Following the experience of administration of the previous earthquake fund, a small executive sub-com-mitteo, resident in Wellington, is to be sot up to act with the Public Trustee. Payment Into Bank. In order that relief work may be properly co-ordinated and the best possible use made'of the fund subscribed, it is requested that subscriptions from all sources be paid into any branch of the Bank of New Zesiland to the credit of the Public Account and the bank receipt forwarded to the Secretary of the Treasury, Wellington, under ccver of a letter setting out details of the contribution. If amounts cannot conveniently be paid into the Bank of New Zealand, they may be remitted direct to the Treasury or paid into thft Post Office.

In order that the fund may earn the maximum amount of interest, which the Public Trusee has agreed to allow, viz., 5£ per cent, on daily balance from its inception, it is requested that moneys subscribed be paid to the Public Account or remitted to the Treasury as fast as received. A list of all such receipts will be issued to the press for publication.

"In regard to the distribution and use of funds," stated the Prime Minister, "the intention is that the Central Committee should, as in the case of the previous earthquake, work in co-operation with local committees to be set up in the afflicted areas. The constitution of local committees it is proposed to leave to the people concerned, except that to facilitate work it is desired that the local representative of the Public Trust Office, Public Works, Lands and Valuation Departments be made ex-officio members of all committees. Public Trustee's Position. "Public Trust officers will _undertake all secretarial and accounting work, and the fund will be administered by . the Public Trustee, as executive officer of the Central Committee. All accounts in connection with the fund will be audited by the Controller and Auditor-General. No organisation or administrative costs will be charged to' the relief fund; that is to say, all money subscribed by the people will be directly applied in the relief of sufferers from the earthquake. "So that there may be as little delay as possible in applying moneys for the purposes for which they are subscribed, 't is proposed to convene a meeting of the Central Committee immediately to determine details in respect to administration of the fund and to delegate the necessary powers to the executive sub-committee and local committees.

"For the immediate relief of urgent cases of distress some grants are being made from the Consolidated Fund. These moneys will be administered by local committees. After allowing for the settlement of all reasonable claims on the West Coast earthquake relief fund, it is anticipated that the balance of about £IO,OOO will remain, and this balance could reasonably be transferred to the Hawke's Bay relief fund and a meeting of the Central Committee of the West Coast fund is to be called immediately to consider trie matter." The Prime Minister said he felt sure that the response to th&. appeal for funds would be a generous one. It was hoped that the organisation outlined would enable the unfortunate sufferers to receive some benefit-from those funds with tho least possible delay, although it had to be recognised that the collecting and collating of details of losses suffered would be, a . work of some magnitude. Needless to say, the immediate needs'of sufferers in the meantime would receive prompt at tention. AMERICANS MOVED. READY TO GIVE AID. SYMPATHETIC ARTICLE. (Received February 6, 7.15 p.m.) NEW YORK, Feb. 6. The New York Herald Tribune in a leading article on New Zealand's disaster says■ New Zoalandors, like Australians, always have seemed closer to Americans than other folk. If there is any aid America can give to the stout-hearted people of New Zealand, it will be given from a full heart.