PATRIOTIC WORK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23818, 20 November 1940, Page 14

PATRIOTIC WORK

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL YEAR'S ACHIEVEMENTS REVIEW BY CHAIRMAN The work of the Auckland Provincial Patriotic Council during tho first 12 months of its existence was reviewed by the chairman, Sir Ernest Davis, at a meeting of the council last night. Sir Ernest's report, which covered the year ended September 30. was adopted. Sir Ernest recalled that receipts totalled £40,434 and expenditure £1G,377, leaving a balance of £24,057. Of this, £IB,OOO was on deposit at short call, cash in hand totalled £4043, and £1425 represented the unexpended balances of the zone imprest account advances. "A searching analysis of tho details of expenditure Avill reveal that it was necessary," Sir Ernest said. "The present war is totally different from anything tho world has previously experienced, and, as far as members of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force are concerned, tho conflict has been one long monotonous battle of nerves and tedious waiting. Comforts in Camps "In these circumstances, provision of comforts and amenities for the troops in mobilisation camps at home and base camps overseas, as well as for members of the Navy and Air Force, has made a heavier drain on patriotic resources than would otherwise have been the case. Especially was this so at the beginning, when camps were in tho making, when there were numbers of mon whoso circumstances were nut too good, and when there was a public demand that all should be made comfortable. Moreover, as tho raising of tho division was on a voluntary basis, it was essential and desirable that, to the extent that patriotic finances could assist, conditions in the mobilisation camps should be made as attractive as possible. Of course, the hulk of tho expenditure for tho first 12 months is of a non-recurring character. "There is no apology needed. Parents, relatives and subsetihers generally will have no grouse with lis for doing tho right and proper thing Ample provision in the way of comforts and amenities has been made for nil branches of the.qrmed services, and the policy for the future automatically will be conservation of resources for the outstanding purposes of relieving distress in the United Kingdom, as and when required, and °f providing for the rehabilitation of our men when they return to New Zealand. Camp Facilities "I hold that the people of the province who have subscribed so liberally to our fund, should be told precisely how the money raised has been spent, and acquainted with some of the benefits that have accrued to the members of our fighting forces from such expenditure," he said. "While the necessity of making adequate preparations for the men on their return has never been lost sight of, the council has not overlooked its duty to the men who will servo and not return to participate in any rehabilitation benefit* Accordingly, for the first year, the principal items of expenditure have related to comforts, sporting . requisites, and amenities generally, the total expenditure on which was £12,677." These comprise:—Papakura camp: Sporting requisites of every character, radio set, loud-speaker equipment for use of concert parties, music for bands, band instruments, repairs to tennis courts, library books and library pictures, and sundry requirements, £1086; North Shore camps: Sporting equipment, piano, billiards table, staging, tennis court rentals, free canteen, canteen subsidy, radios, wire-netting for tennis courts, £519. Hopuhopu camp: Hospital fund, fruit, sporting equipment, electric fans, band instruments, cigarettes, amplifier, wireless sets. £467. Whangarei Heads: Wireless set, typewriter, £64. Army and Navy Military Posts Overseas. —Boxing gloves, cigarettes, writing pads, £3B; maintenance of club for soldiers and rest home at Hamilton, £IOO. Guards, vital points: Radios, dinghy, garden seeds, timber for staging, sporting equipment, £168; proportion of cost of comforts on troopships (including band instruments), while proceeding overseas, as assessed by National Patriotic Fund Board, £586;-contributions to regimental funds, £887; refreshments for troops, including luncheons prior to the departure overseas of the first, second and third echelons, and during the visit of H.M.S. Achilles to Auckland, £570; Carrie Hostel (specificallv donated for this purpose), £156; provision of duplicator and typewriter for use of third echelon, £95. Comforts and Amenities for New Zealand Navy.—Grant in honour of performance of Achilles (£500). donation of indoor games to Ramillies (£SO), cigarettes, sweets, books, cards v and other comforts, extra furnishings and sports equipment at Naval Base, regimental fund H.M.S. Monowai (£445), £995. Comforts for mercantile marine and gun crews: Sweets, games, books, cigarettes, writing materials. £306; comforts and amenities for air bases, including rowing boats, sporting equipment, set of drums, radios, and piano, £539; subsidy to Toe H Club for the 'use of men in fighting forces, £270; transport and other expenses of concertparties to air bases and military camps, £123; shelves for the storage of books, £64. Purchase of, wool for the knitting for the fighting forces of scarves, balaclavas, mittens, socks, pullovers. Air Force gloves. £3203: gift parcels, £1582; hussifs, £178; Lady Galway Guilds, £545; relief of distress, £136. "Expenses Surprisingly Low" "The total expenses of administration for the year amounted to £2023. The main items were: —Salaries and wages (secretary, zone "C"; secretary, women's activities sub-committee; and two typistes), £433; office supplies (including printing, stationery, filing cabinets, etc), £367; postages, telegrams, toll calls, £298; travelling expenses, £590; advertising, £134. "These are surprisingly low when one realises that they cover tho entire province, that the ramifications of the organisation are widespread, with nine separate zones controlling 72 interzones, and every form of patriotic activity encompassed, that frequent telephonic or telegraphic contact is essential to efficient working, that the flow of inward and outward correspondence is -unending, and that long distances have to be traversed by delegates attonding zone executive and provincial council meetings," he continued. "The expenses for tho province would be, of course, considerably higher wore not 99 per cent of tho work carried out on a voluntary basis. Gratitude to Voluntary Workers "With the exception of zone 'C'\ all the administrative and secretarial work is honorary, and there are only two typistes on the pay-roll. At provincial headquarters, there is an honorary secretariat of seven, and one. night a week the voluntary services of ' six typistes from city commercial firms aro available. The organisation is under a great debt of gratitude to its corps of volunteers throughout the, province, which must exceed tho 100 mark. I am pleased to report that the base records have been kept in an exemplary manner. All correspondence and minutes have been filed away under a modern system of simplicity and effectiveness. i

"lii analysing expenditure, it is important to know not only the number of men who have, benefited, but, as well, some of the outstanding results of that expenditure. In one category, 11,173 soldiers, and in another an average maintained strength of 1890, have been dealt with. Navy, air force and mercantile marine statistics, if available, would considerably increase those totals. "Gift parcels aggregating -15,460 have been sent overseas, as have been the. following knitted articles:—Balaclavas, 11,666; hussifs, 8517; 8253 pairs; scarves, 7254; mittens, 'l4° pairs; air force gloves, 2336 pairs; pullovers, 651. _ "Books numbering 12,567. of an estimated value of £1571, and 14,861 zines and periodicals valued at £'' ,w > have been supplied to members or tho armed forces, on whose behalf there is stock in hand valued at £2OOO, Sir Ernest said. "As an outcome of the activities of the Lady Galway Patriotic Guilds, 220 tons of first-class clothing have been despatched to London, lhia is conservatively estimated in value at about £40,000. Concerts given in the •camps in the zone "C ' area alone haio exceeded 180 for the 12 months reviewed." ■ i i Sir Ernest thanked those associated with the organisation, and paul a tribute to the work of the women of the province. . "As is natural, the organisation has not escaped criticism, but every opportunity has been taken to strengthen the framework and to benefit from constructive criticism, which has been welcomed," lie concluded, "lhe coming yedr most probably will be the critical one of the war. Therefore we must continue to work at top in playing our part, because, although we leel sure oJ victory, wo must remember unless Britain wins, all is lost.' "