PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23951, 28 October 1939, Page 5

PATRIOTIC FUNDS

SCHEME OF ADMINISTRATION NATIONAL BOARD’S FUNCTIONS GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S ADDRESS (Special to Daily Times) WELLINGTON, Oct. 27. Various matters relating to the administration of the National Patriotic Fund were dealt with by the GovernorGeneral (Viscount Gfflway) in his opening address to the first meeting of the National Patriotic Fund Board. “ The Fund is a national complement to the 11 provincial funds and, like them, will secure its moneys and other property for the most part by public donations,” his Excellency said. “The board’s general functions are to administer the National Fund to the end that the moneys of the fund should be expended to the best advantage on the approved purposes for which such moneys were paid into the fund. “ It will be seen from the regulations that the National Fund is first, a voluntary channel for expenditure within New Zealand of moneys of provincial funds, and secondly, the compulsory channel through which moneys from provincial funds must pass for expenditure overseas, if and when the necessity arises. This overseas expenditure raises problems which did not exist in the last war when sterling exchange presented no difficulties. These difficulties, which do very materially exist at present, may possibly necessitate expenditure of moneys in New Zealand on goods for transmission overseas in place of actual moneys, “As the war progresses, certain patriotic purposes will present themselves as more appropriate for help from the National than provincial funds. These latter undoubtedly will, for the present at any rate, be very largely used for the purpose of helping members of the forces from the various provincial districts. From the fact that, the Special Force is being trained in a number of camps in various parts of New Zealand, in each of which are men from all parts of the Dominion, it will be apparent that—(a) If comforts, conveniences ,and special equipment are to be provided entirely by those Provincial Councils of the districts within which the camps are situated, an undue burden will be imposed on those councils; and (b) If each Provincial Council desiring to provide for men in the various camps from its own district is under the necessity of remitting moneys to each of the other Provincial Councils, a great deal of unnecessary time will be taken up in ascertaining the home districts of the men in each camp. Obviously, the National Fund is a means of providing against both this undue burden and extra work. Furthermore, since the National Fund will be concerned in dealing with every member of the forces on the basis of equality with every other member, it will be possible to avoid certain little possible causes of disappointment among the members of the forces. “Already certain., important bodies, which will be giving their services in the camps, have come to the conclusion that their best course will be to act as collecting and expending agents of the national rather than of provincial funds. Among these bodies, which have already communicated with the Government, are the Y.M.C.A., the Salvation Army and the New Zealand Sheepowners* Debt of Acknowledgment to British Seamen Fund. The first two are already functioning In respect of some of the camps, and hope before long to be installed in every one of them. Another body which at its own request has been appointed an authorised collector for the national fund is the Air Force Relations, a small body consisting for the most part of the wives of officers of the New Zealand Air Force, the objects of which are to supply comforts for Air Force men in camp and on service with the Royal Air Force in England, and for New Zealanders already prisoners of war in Germany. “From all these,” His Excellency concluded, “it will be seen that there is need for the national fund, and already the 'activities of the Y.M.C.A. and the Salvation Army in particular, have resulted in expenditure which makes it necessary that appeals for the national fund should be launched at the earliest possible moment. These appeals can be launched either by the board itself or by its authorised collectors.”