THE PATRIOTIC FUND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2410, 10 May 1900, Page 50

THE PATRIOTIC FUND.

A meeting of the Patriotic Fund Com- ' mittee was held at the Town Hall afc 5 o'clock on Monday afternoon; present — his Worship the Mayor (Mr R. Chisholm) and Messrs G. L. Denniston, George Fenwick, J. F. M. Fraser, J. A. Park, T. W. Kempthorne, W. A. W. Wathen, and G. R. Ritchie (secretary) .

The meeting was called to consider the disposal of the amount still in hand.

Mr Denniston reported that the total receipts amounted to £10,028. The sum of £6000 was remitted Home, £100 paid to the remount fund, £100 for expenses, and £3837 5d ranjvjnjd^ in hagcl»

The Mayor stated that the question now was what recommendation the committee had to make regarding the -disposal of this sum. It went without saying, of course, that the amount collected by the Otago Daily Times for the Transvaal refugees should be devoted to that object. Mr Fenwick stated that close on £400 was obtained through the Daily Times for the refugees' fund, and, in addition to that, somo money was collected by 'the mayor for -.trie same purpose before the general fund was organised. The object of that fund was- the relief of the Transvaal refugee*. It was resolved that the total amount of the mayor's and the Otago Daily Times fund collected for the refugees be remitted to Sir Alfred Milner for distribution amongst the loya] British subjects who are sufferers from, the present war.

Mr Park stated, with regard to the amount collected for the " absent-minded beggar," that it was not contemplated at the time that we would be sending so many of our own boys. AYe had now a great many there, and he thought that the balance of the fund should be placed on fixed deposit till some definite arrangement be made for its disposal. It should ultimately form the nucleus of a sick and -accident fund for the Otago and Southland contingent boys. Mr Kempthorne &aid that the mayors of the country districts would have to be consuited.

The Mayor said that lie had had communications w.ith many of the mayors, and there was a general feeling that the balance shouM be retained to make provision for our ov.-.i , contingents.

Mr Fraser stated that it would be necessary to set up a proper board to deal with, the fund. They had in this city a functionary who could enwabiy deal with this matter better than a. committee. He referred to the Public Trustee. If that officer were requested to undertake the task all the outlying bodies would concentrate their funds into one comn.on pool, and after the needs of our own men were relieved the balance, if any, could be remitted to the Lord .Mayor of London. He moved in that direction.

Mi" Fenwick was distinctly in favour of the motion. The distribution of money for such a purpose was a delicate business, and the Public Tpistee, who did his work with administrative ability, was best fitted for the task.

After further desultory discussion, the following "motion was unanimously carried: —

That this committee is strongly of opinion that all balances from the patriotic, fund now in the hands of the several committees to Otago and Southland should be vested in the Public Trustee as a fund for the lelief cf any wounded or invalided Otago or Southland men now in the war, or for their relations and those dependent on them."

It was understood that the mayors of the different centres in Otago and Southland districts be written to requesting their co-opera-tion in carrying out this resolution.