THE PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

Otago Witness, Volume 26, Issue 2419, 26 July 1900, Page 36

THE PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

LEGISLATION TO BE INTRODUCED

WELLINGTON, July 19,

The Premier met the Municipal Conferference this morning and asked for an expression of opinion on the following points : (1) Shall there be legislation to have patriotic and other funds in the hands of committees distributed by legal enactment ; (2) shall the money be -placed in one fund for the whole colony, or shall the colon} 7 " be divided into districts — say, volunteer districts ; (3) shall the moneys be placed under the Public Trustee, and by him, disbursed? It would also have to be decided who were to get relief, and in what proportion. It is suggested that thez*e should be legislation to relieve the various local trustees of the responsibility of dealing with moneys in hand and to disburse the money on a general plan.

In reply to a question, Mr Seddon said he thought that the whole of the sums subscribed to the patriotic and more men funds' and the "fund for the support of widows and orphans should be amalgamated and disbursed on some general plan.

Mr M'Callum (Blenheim) moved that in the opinion of this meeting, and with the view of consolidating the funds, legislation should be introduced directing "the disposal of the funds, and that a bill be submitted to all committees for approval.

Mr Gray (Christchurch) moved as an amendment that, while thanking the Premier for - his suggestion?', this conference

cannot see their way to give an expression of opinion on the subject of the proposals until the various committees have first been consulted.

The motion was carried, and members of the various local committees who were present then held a consultation as to the provisions of the bill to be introduced.

The outcome of the Premier's proposals re funding the contributions now in the hands of the war committees is thai a bill is to be drawn up to vest the moneys in the Public Trustee, frith a cmnmifctee " o ' advise, -/which should consist of the mayors of the four chief cities and two other representatives chosen by the committees in those cities. • POOLING THE PATRIOTIC FUNDS. ' THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE - / PROTEST. THE OTAGO FUND FOR OTAGO MEN. | A meeting cf the Organising Committee of the patriotic fund was held oil Friday fdifinoon to consider the proposal of the Premier to pool the patriotic funds of the colony, and administer them from a central source, when the following resolution was passed: — "That this meeting of the Otago Patriotic Fund Committee views with alarm the proposals of the Government to pool the funds now in the hands of treasurers or committees, and administer them in the method suggested. They are satisfied that the—great majority of the donors to the fund would prefer that the Otago fund be administered locally, and for the benefit of local men who may have ' a claim on it. They, therefore, are strongly opposed to any legislation on the subject, and urge every Otago and Southland member of Parliament to see that the Otago funds are left in the hands of the Otago people for the benefit of the invalided members of the various contingents hailing from Otago and Southland, and those dependent on them." Copies of this resolution are being forwarded to the Premier and each member ol Parliament, and also to the Mayor of Dunedin, who is now in Wellington. . THE PREMIER'S EXPLANATION. PROVINCIALISM AND PAROCHIALISM. WELLINGTON, July 23. The following correspondence passed today between Mr Mills, of the Dunedin Patriotic Fund Committee, and the Premier : — Right Hon. Mr Seddon, Wellington. — I have to thank you and Mr Ward for your telegrams re proposed legislation in reference to i" V i- io J ic funds. The matter is to be considered at & public meeting of subscribers to-morrow evening, called to consider this matter, and also to deal with the report and accounts of the committee which has charge of the raising and despatch of the Otago and Southland sectict of the fourth contingent. Shall be glad if you can, previous to the meeting, give me an indication of the shape the pioposed bill will take, as a lively interest is being iaken in the matter by subscribers, and there will be, great disappointment if our fund is not set anarx for cur own district, and is removed from the custody of the present committee, o[ which the mayor is chairman — (sigtiud) Jaiies Mills. The Mayor of A uckland also telegraphed : • The Right Hon. R. J. Seddon, Wellington.— At a- committee meeting of the South Africa patriotic fund, held this afternoon. th& following resolution was unanimously carried- — " That, with reference to the Premiei's tele- j gram of the 17th inst., suggesting thrt all the ] patriotic funds be vested in ihe Public Trubtee, this committee desires to place on recoid jts strong dissent -to any such rrcposal. That, in . view of the fact that the Auckland patriotic j fund is, in effect, held in trust on behalf of the | Lord Mayor of London, this committee must j protest against any diversion of the trast with- ] out the consent of the Lord Mayor of London j and siibscribers to the fund being first obtained, i That this committee has taken care that no j case of distress in the ' Auckland provincial ] district deserving help has been left uncarcd for." — D. Goldie. "The Premier has replied to both telegrams as follows : — j It is the desire of the Government to work with, and not in oppositioon to, the wishes of those who have been chiefly instrumental in raising the moneys for a truly patriotic pur-

pose, and who are best entitled to decide as to its distribution. There 's at piesent no defined trust established, and what we proposed to do was to legislate in that direction, and that there were to be local trustees who should invest and distribute the money undei conditions in lv-e with tho3e laid down when the moneys were subscribed. It was suggested that the mayors of the four large centres should be ex officio members of the trust, :md the other trustees were to be elected by the subscribers. It is unnecessary for me to point out to you as a business man the desirability of removing the present uncertain condition ol affairs. There are subscribers who say that the moneys were all to go to the Mansion House fund. Others say the moneys were otherwise to be applied. Under these circumstances, it is unnecessary for me to point out that at the present time those holding these moneys and the committees are responsible to individual si bscribers, and that the moneys have been contributed by subscribers under different conditions. It is my intention to get a bill drafted, send it on to each of the committees, and then to have a conference of various delegates elected by the committees, and finally decide upon the matter. It is also necessary for me to remind you of what occurred in respoct to the Kaitangati subscriptions, and that ultimately the Legislature had to step in and save the residue. I express no opinion on the fact that over twenty thousand pounds has left this- colony, and been sen*, to the Mansion House fund, and you ha--" not had twenty pence returned; and, in mj opinion, never will. It has been brought uncle* my notice that some of cvi contingents invalided home have left Cape Colony penniless and ill-clad, whilst there are agents who were seeing to the Imperial soldiers, and were meeting their requirements out of what is known as the " Tommy Atkins fund." I only point this out to show that whilst your committee is very keen now 4 o keep the control and distribution of the residue of the money subscribed, you have sent :iway a large amount of the rnonoey, handed it ovoer to the Mayor of London, and that you have no control whatever. In fact, after going carefully into the matter, I have never seen a letter sent to any committee from the contioller of the Mansion House fund as to what they would do with the money, or as to how it stood at the piesent moment; and, if not out cf place, I would advise your committee to know what they intend to do with it, and whether or not those who subscribed it were to be coptulted as to its distribution. It' appears to me now as if you did not seem inclined to trust the people of this colony, and whatever you may do, I assert that our sons fighting in the Cape are fighting to uphold the constitution Mid the grand old flpg, p.nd are not lighting for piovincial districts, but for the colony and tbe ICnroire; onrl tosay that because a- soldier came from an ou!.lyihg district that, practically, to-morrow may have no funds, that thpse dependent upon him should want, whilst in other districts funds are available, is a piovincialisrn and a parochialism which does not commend itself to my judgment. It is my desire to «voik with you and have the whole thing placed on a satisfactory footing. There is no established trust at the piesent time. — R. J. Seddon.