BELGIUM RELIEF FUND.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 438, 6 July 1915, Page 2

BELGIUM RELIEF FUND.

CHRISTCHURCH CITY'S QUOTA.

COUNCIL DESIRES FULL INFORMATION.

The question of a monthly contribution from the Christchurch City Council to the Poor of Great Britain, Ireland, and Belgium Relief Fund was considered by the council last evening. It was agreed that much more information than was available was desirable.

The matter was brought before the council by letters from the secretary to the Christchurch committee of the fund, in which it was stated that the city's allocation was £l6O 0/2 a month. The council was asked to pay that amount. The MayoY (Mr H. Holland) remarked that the City Council had never been asked to meet the committee. It seemed to him that it was pretty cool that the council should be asked to pay that amount without being asked to meet the committee. A CHEAT OBLIGATION. Cr H. J. Otley agreed that if the council had not been asked to meet the committee the request certainly was pretty cool. But it had to be remembered that the British Empire was under a very deep obligation to Belgium. After emphasising what Belgium had done, and the extremities in which the Belgians had been placed, Cr Otley proceeded to say that, whatever New Zealand had given, there was not, to his knowledge, one man who had given enough to make him go short of one pipe of tobacco. Whatever arrangements had been made, whether with the council or not, the obligation to Belgium should be met. At the same time, he considered that Christchurch had her own men to provide for, too, now that so niany men were falling, But he believed that Belgium alone saved New Zealand from being now a German colony. The council, at all events, should do its share in helping Belgium now. The voluntary subscription came from the man who was willing to pay. There were some people, wealthy people, yvho did not do their shares and there were also some people in lowlier circumstances who did not do their share. If the council voted a sum, everybody in Christchurch would pay his share. It meant that everybody who paid rates made a Very, very small donation toward the fund. He did riot say that they should go on with this fund for ever—they had their own to provide for—but he thought that the council should continue paying something until peace was declared. Cr Otley then moved that the amount be paid for a term of, say, six months. Th,e Mayor pointed out that in the past financial year the council voted £750 to the Patriotic Fund and £750 to the Belgium Fund. A vote of £l6O a month meant £1920 a year. NOT ENOUGH INFOBMATIOM. Cr F. .Buj-gi:.. :ie said he would not deny for a moment the great credit due to Belgium. But the point was that there was hot sufficient information before the council to enable it to vote anything at present. He did not think that the council should bind itself down to what was suggested until it knew what it was going to be called upon to pay for the city's own mqn and their lependerits. The Mayor remarked that the conference which had been held in Wellington concerning the Belgium Fund had decided that there should be a conference of Mayors of cities and boroughs and chairmen of County Councils *and Road Boards to decide how the money should be raised. The Christchurch City Councoil had not been invited to any such conference; Now it w r as met with a cool demand to pay £l6O a month. WHAT IS THE RULE? Cr J. R. Hayward said that he fully sympathised with what Cr Otley had said regarding the Belgians, but he wanted to know whether all other cities and boroughs in the Dominion were paying levies, pro rata, into the fund. If Belgium wanted more assistance the British Empire would give that assistance. If other cities contributed, Christchurch must not stand out. But he would like a little more information. He suggested that enquiries should be made as to whether all other cities and boroughs in the Dominion were paying on the same ratio as Christchurch was called upon to pay. If they were, he was sure that the council would pay its allocation loyally. Cr Otley thought that Cr Hayward had hit the nail on the head. He suggested that the matter should be held over until next meeting,- to permit of such enquiries being made. With the permission of the council he withdrew his previous motion, and moved, instead, that the matter be deferred until next meeting, for the purpose indicated. Either the Town Clerk or" himself .would get the information. This was agreed to.