PATRIOTIC GIVING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25241, 2 June 1943, Page 2

PATRIOTIC GIVING

QUESTION t)F DIFFERENTIATION

COMMENT BY THE MAYOR

“I find it very difficult to deal with the statement that some members of the public differentiate in their giving of money for patriotic purposes,” said the Mayor (Mr A. H. Allen) at a meeting of the executive of the Otago Provincial Patriotic Council yesterday. Mr Allen explained that at the inception of the work of the council the late Lord Galway had made it very clear that the patriotic councils would have absolute control of all the money that was raised. They had an obligation ter the National Patriotic Fund Board, which was the spending agent for purely patriotic purposes. "Many who put forward these excuses are doing so simply because they do not want to give,” the Mayor added. It was difficult to understand how there could be any misunderstanding of the purposes of the provincial patriotic organisation after nearly four years of war. There were some people in the city who would rather give their money to any other object than the patriotic organisation. It was ungracious on their part and a slight to the soldiers. The council was careful in spending the money, and the funds were being conserved for the benefit of the men when they came back. Mr James Hogg (chairman of the Appeals Committee) said he did not think that differentiation was as widespread as it might seem. For a specific appeal, he added, the public might give a little more because it had a special liking for that appeal.