£250,000 DEFENCE FUND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26027, 15 December 1945, Page 6

£250,000 DEFENCE FUND

CONTROL OF EXPENDITURE (P.A) WELLINGTON, Dec. 14. The Dominion executive of the Farmers’ Federation issued a statement to-day on the subject of the defence fund which is being raised by tha Farmers’ Union and the Farmers’ Federation in all the provinces in the Dominion. The statement points out that “this fund will be used for the protection of farmers’ interests, but from statements which have been made in various parts of New Zealand it is obvious that there is a very great misunderstanding of the position. It is aimed to raise a total of £250,000. the moneys so collected to be under the control of trustees appointed by the people who furnish the funds in the provinces where the money is raised, and, though naturally the head office of the farmers’ organisations will be largely responsible for the spending of the money, disbursements will be under scrutiny of the trustees in the provinces. A combined committee of the Farmers’ Union and the Farmers’ Federation is to confer in regard to the work to be carried on with the aid of the fund. “It will be seen that the fund is entirely under the control of the farmers’ representatives themselves and that the provincial districts will be fully consulted before any expenditure of the money is made. To suggest that persons outside the farming industry will have any say in the expenditure

of this money is simply misleading the farmers of the Dominion, who can rest assured that they themselves will have the appointment of the people who will control the funds.’’