KING GEORGE V FUND

Southland Times, Issue 23183, 26 April 1937, Page 8

KING GEORGE V FUND

SIR HARRY LAUDER’S APPEAL ENTHUSIASM FOR CAUSE An appeal for contributions to the King George V National Memorial Fund was made by the Scottish comedian Sir Harry Lauder, at a public meeting at Taupo. When Sir Harry learnt of the meeting, he threw himself into the cause, and even drew up the wording of the posters which were circulated to call the meeting. He also contributed £5 towards the fund. “I want you thoroughly to understand first, and foremost that the money that is gathered for this _fund is for use in New Zealand,” said Sir Harry. “It is not going anywhere but in the country it is collected in, and it will be made good use of for young lads and lassies. And there is nothing more beautiful than to go into a boys’ camp or a girls’ camp and see how they are enjoying themselves. “I was the means of starting in England, not in Scotland, the ‘White Heather Fund.’ I called it the ‘White Heather Fund’ so they would know there is something Scotch connected with it, and I was elected as their honourable vice-president of the fund. It commenced in a very, very small way and now today, we take to the camps 150,000 boys and girls. It only goes to show what an effort will do and now a great effort is being put before you. New Zealand has never failed in anything it has taken in hand, and I feel sure that the men and women of New Zealand will put their backs into this scheme. It is good, it is for a noble cause. Instead of building a marble or a bronze monument to the late King George, the money is going to be put into something very useful, making camps for boys and girls. Two Camps Needed “It is a very wonderful thing for a young man to walk along in the country or at the seaside and see boys and girls enjoying themselves and having a great time. We need a camp within the country and we need a camp at the seaside, because there are boys and girls in the country who have never seen the sea, and boys and girls at the seaside who have never been far into the country, so vice versa is the quality that we require there. “The last time I met the King was at Balmoral Castle. I was commanded by the King to entertain his guests and the tenantry on the estate of Balmoral. The last time I spoke with the King was then. He sent for me after the entertainment that night and he thanked me for entertaining his guests. “An appeal for youngsters has always appealed to me, because when that appeal is made to me I go back to the days when I was 11 years of age, when my father died and left my mother with seven children and I was 11 years of age. I had to go and get a job at 11 years of age and I was glad to get work to help my mother. I got 2/1 a week and she got 6/- from the parish for the other six who could not work, 1/- a week for each child. I was poor enough to begin with; I had a heart. As Robert Burns would say, ‘I had a heart above it all’; and I have been working ever -since. This is the first trip I ‘have ever'’had for a holiday in my life and that is why I enjoy it so much. I worked in the mill from six to nine, 10 to two and three to six for 2/1 a week. I had a heart above it all and got through. “What are you going to do for these children? You people who are resident here, get together and collar everybody who comes near the district, the same as you have collared me. Make them stump up and help. If we all help one another, and not grouse so much at each other and about each other, we would be all the better situated than we are today. (Applause). In other words if « we all pulled together we would win the tug-o-war. If two sets of men are playing at tug-o-war, it is a great thing they do in Scotland at the Highland gatherings where there are 12 men a side. If one man even slips, he loses the game for the other 11. Even if the front or back man slips with a pause in this mighty rope, they will lose. We won’t lose if we all pull together, and the King George V Memorial Fund will mount up and mount up. For every pound after the £25,000 is gathered, the country is going to put a pound to it. It is going to subsidize every pound after that, so it is worth fighting for, worth sacrificing for, and we won’t get anything worthwhile unless we sacrifice for it.”