PATRIOTIC FUNDS.
MINISTER RESENTS CRITICISM. WELLINGTON. May 28. The Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon* Mr Russell) stated to : day that his attention had been drawn to a report of the Returned Soldiers' Associations meeting at; Christchurch, in which the ohairman said there was no question that the Government —or, rather, the Minister of Internal Affairs —would attempt to collar the funds now in the hands of the patriotio bodies for his own pet schemes. For instance, it was suggested, that they might bo used for sanatoria for consumptive soldiers. That idei was preposterous, Mr Russell said, and he had therefore telegraphed to the president of the conference as follows: "(1) I emphatically deny that the Government has any desire to collar or otherwiso interfere with patriotio funds. Its only responsibility is to see that they are expended under the War Funds Act for the purposes for which they were raised. (2) No sugges- : tion has been made by me that patriotio' funds might bo used for sanatoria for consumptive' soldiers. _ I shall therefore feel obliged if you will inform me of your authority for the above statement, or, in the alternative, -withdraw it."
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Otago Witness, Issue 3403, 4 June 1919, Page 51
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194PATRIOTIC FUNDS. Otago Witness, Issue 3403, 4 June 1919, Page 51
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