Y.M.C.A. WAR SERVICE

Otago Witness, Issue 3331, 16 January 1918, Page 52

Y.M.C.A. WAR SERVICE

FORTHCOMING RED TRIANGLE DAY APPEAL. STATEMENT BY WAR COMMITTEE. As was announced in our issue of Wednesday last, the Minister of Internal Affairs has given approval to the Y.M.C.A. for an appeal throughout New Zealand for funds to support the war service of that organisation. It has been decided that the appeal, which is taking the form of '"Red Triangle Day," shall bo held on March 15, as the culmination of a series of efforts throughout the dominion, excepting the Auckland province, which recentlv raised over £50.000 for the • war work* of the Y.M.C.A. In a statement now issued by the War Committee of the Association it is pointed out that as the prolongation of the war involves another winter's campaign, with its inevitable hardships for our men, it is Imperative that the National Council of the Y.M.C.A. should take immediate stops to raise sufficient funds to maintain the present service to New Zealand troops and to meet tho urgent requests that are being received almost daily from military authorities and other r-ources for the 'extension of tho service. Tho National Council states that ever since the commencement of tho war tho policy of both tho British and New Zealand Councils lias been to meet every reasonable request mado by iiio military authorities to serve the men so far as the available funds would allow. For instance, last year the balance sheet of tho British National Council, after three years of war, disclosed the fact that, although tho total transactions of the council exceeded one and a-quartor million pounds, tho balance to credit was only a fewpounds. At one period in tho present year they were £150,000 overdrawn. Tho last balance sheet of the New Zealand Council showed a credit balance of £20,000, which has since been expended on the service to tho soldiers. But for tho timely and generous effort mado in tho Auckland province recently, funds would have by now been almost exhausted.

In view of the many occasions arising' from timo to timo when the immediate ox-

pendituro of largo sums is rendered imperative by the over changing military conditions, it is impossible to prepare any reliable budget of expenditure that may not bo largely oxeoeded. This condition of things, inseparable from war, mokes it necessary for tho council to have sufficient funds always in hand for at least six to 12 months ahead. Thi council, which is composed of representative business men throughout the dominion, has over since the beginning of the war not been satisfied merely to collect funds in Now Zealand and remit them for expenditure aboard, but several members of that body have personally gone in an honorary capacity, and at their own expense, to see that those funds ha"e been properly and economically administered. The public, therefore, may have every confidence in entrusting this bony with money which, in every case, is sperifc directly in ameliorating the lot of the men in our fighting forces.