PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16285, 19 January 1915, Page 2

PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION

MONTHLY MEETING OF EXECUTIVE. The- monthly mooting of tlio executive, of the Orayo" Patriotic and General Welfare Assia union was held at Urn Town Hall yesterday morning, the Mayor (Mr J. B. Shaeklookj presiding over a lair attend a nee. COKHESI'OXDENCK. The Secretary of the Dunedin Chora 1 Society vviote t nclosing the sum of £21, to be "divided equally between lh.' Belgian Relief Fund and the Uical Distrcs Fund. —Received with thanks. The Secretary of the Hospital Saturday Association wrote enclosing a cheque for £.376, hejng flic proportion of the Saturday collection lor the Belgian Fund. J his was the propprtion of £1503 divided amongst the various beneficiaries. There miglit be a small balance lo allocate yet. Received with thanks. FINANCE. Mr D. ft. Theomin, in the absence of Mr J. Roberts, submitted the report ot the Finance Committee. It stated that, in regard to die letter of the secretary of the Patriotic Demonstration Committee forwarding a cheque, for £80, and requesting that tho sum bo used for the extension of the Leith wall, the committee recommended that the contribution be not accepted subject to the stipulation stated, and that the Demonstration Committee be asked to make tho donation free of any condition, as funds for the Leith wall had been fully provided. The committee reported that since last meeting a further sum of £2000 had boon cabled to London for the Belgian Relief Fund, making a total of £13,050 to date. An application had been . made to the University of Ctago for tho payment of the £200 promised as a contribution to the orection of die Leith. wall. When £500 had been expended on this work an application would be made to the Government for payment of the £300 grant.—The report was adopted. Mr F. Mitchell moved that the Finance Committee be asked to take into consideration the advisableness of formulating a scheme whereby regular subscriptions might be collected from the public. He said ho thought that it would bo possible to collect approximately £1000 per week by donations of one shilling. The labour organisations might assist by arranging for boxes to be placed at the various shops, etc. Considering the amount spent by the public in amusements there should bo no difficulty in doing a? he suggested. Mr P. R. Sargood said that something might be done in the way of placing: boxes in shops and stores to receive donations of goods from customers. This was j-eing done in England,

Mr M'Allen said that it would be much better if money were put into boxes. The men should be made to work for money; indeed, no man wished to •be unemployed if he could get work. Mr Sargood pointed out that his idea was that the articles purcliased should be sent to the Belgian or British Funds. The motion was carried. EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.

The Expeditionary Force Committee reported that 21 binoculars, 21 compasses, and 21 revolvers had been ordered for Colonel Bowler's command, and asked for an amount to cover the expense. The committee further asked for authority to deal with 6iich requirements on application without reference to the General Committee. The committee had received cheques from the Invercargill Association as follows:— £250 pro forma payment of their share of regimental fund, £21 17s 9d on account of equipment, and £200 on account of the mounted men of the Expeditionary Force. Mr Sargood, in moving the adoption of the report, explained that a grant of £20 was given officers for their equipment, which cost £50; consequently junior officers could not meet the extra charge. Mr Theomin suggested that they should show their confidence in the committee by placing a certain sum at its disposal. It could then piodnce vouchers. Certainly it should not be hampered in its operations.

Mr M'Allen supported this suggestion, but said that he thought the Government should certainly give financial assistance to the junior officers. —("Hear, hear.") Mr Thecmin: Undoubtedly; but it is not doing it. Mr M'Allen said that every officer should receive the necessary allowance to enable him to be properly equipped. The Mayor: The Government are not doing it, so we are helping. Mr Sargood explained that it was really an Imperial matter, but some of the junior officers were not financially able to supplement the £20 allowed them. Mr Cuming asked if the Government had not undertaken that the whole of the equipment of our men should be supplied 'by them. Certain members admitted that it had been said that that was so. The Mayor terminated the discussion by remarking that ho thought the association would have to go on as it had been doing. The report was adopted, and the authority asked for granted. EMPLOYMENT AND RELIEF. Mr F. G. Cumming submitted the report of the Employment and Relief Committee. In this it was stated that 97 applications for relief had been dealt with and the sum of £287 17s 9d disbursed. The number of men employed at present was 173, and there was practically no unemployed now in the city. The amounts sent as gifts to the wives and children of the men who had gone or were going to the front were highly appreciated, and the letters of thanks received gave expression to this fact. The committee that, in view of the men engaged on tTie Leith wall and Wallace street being put off for 10 days at Christmas time, tho executive grant these men an allowance equal to two days pay. Mr M'Allen cited the case of a young man who had, while waiting to be sent to the front, been unable to secure employment.—Mr Cumming said that unfortunately he had had to say "No" to several men who had come to the committee in similar circumstances. To have given these men employment would have opened up a big question. Tho matter voallv came under the jurisdiction of the committee controlled by Lieutenant-colonel Stoneham.-—Colon*! Stoneham said that in future there would be no excuse for those who left their employment before being called up. The defence authorities were issuing definite instructions on this point.—The report was adopted. On the motion of Mr F. W. Mitchell. branded by Mr J. H. Walker, the executive passed a resolution expressing its entiro satisfaction with the work done by the Employment and Relief Committee.— The Mayor said that between the Employment Committee and the City Counoil the matter of unemployment in Duncdin had been handled in a most satisfactory manner. RECRUITING. The report of the Otago Recruiting Committee stated that recruiting meetings had been held at various places, with good results in every case. There could be no doubt that great good would result outside from the efforts made by the committee and the many people who had willingly assisted it. Further meetings had been arranged for. The committee believed that the reflection tho Otago district had been living under would be soon removed, and that Otago would be sending all the men asked for. Already an improvement had taken place, largely due to the work done by the committee in placing tho position of affairs before the general miblic. More than the required number were sent forward yesterday week for the reinforcements, through the Samoan requirements were somewhat short. Just now the committee intended confining its efforts to the c'ty and suburbs, but later on, as the necessity became greater, it intended to push into the country districts. Colonel Stoneham reported that, as chairman of the committee, he had had two interviews with the Minister of Defence regarding the question of expenses incurred by the committee when organising meetings. The recognised that the committee was doing good work, but as it was the first to approach him, ho had stated that he would have to go carefully into the matter, as it would require to apply to the whole of the dominion. The report was adopted. treasurer's statement.

The Hon. Treasurers'roported that the receipt.-, to date from all sources amounted to £47.476 16s 6d. Since the previous meeting of the executive the receipts had amounted to £6279 2s lid. niado up .is follows:—Unconditional. £2 10s; local distress. £291 12-5 lid: Britain and Ireland Fund. £715 3s Id: Belgium Fund. £4769 13s Scl ; Expeditionary Force. £478 12s 9d ; ambulance. £21 10s 6d; —total. £6729 & lid.

The outgoing e,ince the previous meeting amoiunV-d to £8025 15s 2d. made up ns. fol]o\vs:-- Be'tran relief. £5006 6s: Britain and Ireland relief. £1051 4s: local distress. £131 : Kxpedition-iry Force. £4CO: labour. £1376 14s 3d: incidmtMs (printinp and advertis-infr. etc.). £60 10s f,d;—total. £'025 15-, 2d.

The following statement (shillings and ponce omitted) allowed the position of the respective funds wider the control of the association : —

Re-. Kxrpen- Balo.oipts. diture. nnci\ Unconditional £14,483 £2<6 £14,196 Local distress 7,856 (a)5,7E6 4,088 Britain and Ireland Fund 5.115 4.052 1.063 Belgian distress ... 15.641 13.061 2.576 Horse fund 946 94 851 Ambulance Fund ... 325! 75 252 Kxpoditionary Force Fund 2.949 2.133 fil.s Refunds wages 155 155 Totals £47,476 £23.475 £24.000 Note.--(a) £3387 Is 6d; distress, £381. Deposited with the Duncdin City Council at call, hearing interest at the rate of 3 per cent, per annum ...£21.000 0 0 Bank of New Zealand 3.000 19 6 Total £24.000 19 6 Mr F. W. Mitchell siiggrv.tod that a* there was over £2000 to the credit of the Belgian Fund a further remittance should be made. The sooner it was Rent the. bettor. Mr Lffwin also suggested that a further sum should be remitted to the British Fund. Finally it wan unanirnoualv decided to vote a further £2500 to the Belgian Fund and £1000 to the British Fund. It was also decided to communicate with Lieutenant-colonel Batchelor, asking if he required any portion of the amount donated for the ambulance sections of the Expeditionary For^,