PATRIOTIC WAR FUNDS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14986, 13 August 1919, Page 5

PATRIOTIC WAR FUNDS.

"SOLDIERS' DEMAND FOR AN

INQUIRY.

(Special, to the Herald.)

CHRISTCHURCH, this day. ■ Regarding the demand 1 for an inquiry, into the V.M.C.A. war funds; Mr.' W. H: Leadley, secretary of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers' Association, stated: that the matter of investigation as . t*' the disposal of' patriotic funds had been discussed by his Association, and' the decision arrived at ; had been forwarded to the conference of the R.S^A., at which meeting the delegates decided that the question demanded a full inquiry. A special, committee was appointed to deal with the matter, and the attention of the Minister of Defence was, as a result, drawn to the necessity of an audit being made and a balance-sheet being presented covering the activities of the V.M.C.A. Mr. Leadley stated that at ..present the correspondence he holds m connection with the inquiry is of a confidential nature.

Interviewed, Mr. R. A. Kenner, secretary of the local V.M.C.A.,. stated that if, as suggested, special attention is bedirected to the V.M.C.A. administration, ho had the fullest confidence that the V.M.C.A. would bo able to give -a completely satisfactory account of its war work. Speaking with an intimaie knowledge of the work m France and Germany, he knew that. all reasonable economy l had been exercised, and that working expenses were reduced tp a surprisingly low minimum. He could not believe that soldiers who had seen much of the V.M.C.A. work m the field would be a party to such an attack.