PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1624, 29 April 1919, Page 11 (Supplement)

PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

RIGHTS OF SOLDIERS. SHOULD HELP IN CONTROL. HON. ME RUSSELL'S VIEWS. At last evening's meeting of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers' Association, there was passed a resolution of protest against the action of the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. G. W. Russell) in preventing the Lady Liverpool Fund from transferring its credit balance to the Returned Soldiers' Club Building Fund. Approached by a Sun representative this morning, the Minister explained that there wag no legal authority for the sanctioning of such a transfer of patriotic funds, which fact operated for the protection of the soldiers themselves. Incidentally, Mr Russell agreed that there was a tendency to hoard patriotic moneys, and in that direction he promised an early return which would "open the eyes" of the returned soldiers. His own opinion was that the position would not be satisfactory until the control was largely in the hands of the men themselves. Last evening's resolution of protest was moved by Mr E. Hudson and seconded by Mr H. Oliver, it being stated that the association's membership was now over 3000, whilst the present clubaccommodation made provision for less ithan 100. ' ' "It is a matter for regret," said Mr Russell this morning, "that the efforts of the promoters to raise the necessary funds for the Returned Soldiers' Club have not been more successful, as shown by the want of public response to the appeal. That is possibly an indication that the public generally holds the opinion that it is not desirable that such institutions for returned soldiers should be established, on two grounds: (1) The public generally recognises the desirability of the returned soldier returning to civilian life in all its aspects and amusements as rapidly as possible, and that it is not. desirable that soldiers, as a class, should regard themselves as a separate portion of the community. (2) There is the difficulty of maintaining these institutions after they are established, and that is a very real one. "The Soldiers' Club in Wellington is constantly making appeals for the necessary finance for its maintenance, and there can be little doubt that similar difficulties will arise in the course of a very few years in other parts of the Dominion, where special institutions for soldiers are

established. NO AUTHORITY FOR TRANSFER. "-The question of granting a permit for the transfer of £3OOO from the LadyLiverpool Fund in Christeliurch to the Returned Soldiers' Club Fund," continued the Minister, "has been considered, and the proposal has been vetoed, on the direct advice of the Solicitor-General, to whom was submitted a statement made by me with regard to the matter, and also the letter published by Mr O. T. J. Alpers, chairman of the Club's Building Committee. The Solicitor-General stated that, in his opinion, the statement of the position made by me was correct. It is not necessary, therefore, to state his opinion of Mr Alpers' letter." , Mr Russell explained that the Lady Liverpool Fund had been established, according to its registered objects, for the sole purpose of providing comforts for New Zealand soldiers on active service. The necessity for the fund having ceased, it came automatically under the provis : nus of the War Funds Act, and its amendments. That Act made no provision whatever for the Minister in Charge of War Funds approving of moneys being transferred from approved funds to funds for the establishment of soldiers' clubs. Hence the vetoing of the present proposal. Until the law had been amended, approval could not be given to requests of that nature.

FEAR OP PEECEDENT. Speaking of war funds generally, Mr Russell said that now the war was over the responsibility of the Minister in Charge was very great. He did not anticipate being much longer in the position which he now occupied, and he was most anxious not to establish a precedent which could in any way be used as a lever to secure that the funds which had been raised for the benefit of our soldiers should be used for any other purpose, however good it might be; and there was a very real danger in that matter. At the present time a sum of £1,700,000 was held by the patriotic societies of New Zealand. That money haVl been raised for the benefit of the soldiers and their dependents, not to .be spent in the course of one year, or five years, but as a fund from which, for many years to come, the wives and children of the men who had made sacrifices for the Empire could draw assistance. The funds had been subscribed as an appreciation by the people of New Zealand of the heroism and sacrifice of her men, and it behoved those of this generation ..to leave to them ami to their wives and children as a sacred heritage the funds that were now in hand. That there was a tendency to hoard the funds was, in his opinion, clear; and shortly a statement would be available with regard to all funds of over £IO,OOO, showing the revenue received and the amount paid out last year for the benefit of soldiers and their dependents, as well as the actual cash to the credit of the fund at the date of the last balance-sheet. When those figures were published they would, he thought, be an eye-opener to the people of New Zealand, and especially to the returned soldiers. He could tell of some very funny cases, but would just go so far as to say that, as chairman of the War Funds Council, he had had brought under his notice specific instances of absolutely genuine cases being placed before patriotic societies and refused —not for want of monev.

PROPOSED DIVERSION OF FUNDS. A few 'lays ago he hart been approached by a hospital board and informed that if he would approve of the proposal the board had reason believing that it could obtain £17,000 from the Patriotic Fund for the extension of a nurses' home! He had been amazed, aud had at once intimated that there was not the slightest chance of any such grant being permitted. That might possibly not be a fair illustration of patriotic societies.generally, but in view of it lie felt that the returned soldiers would realise how necessary it was that no precedent should be established for the diversion of the funds raised for them. Recently the War Funds Council hart established a system of bursaries. Those had been offered to matriculated students of the University of New Zealand, but he now proposed to bring before the council a further scheme under which men who had not matriculated would be assisted to go on to matriculation, and by which those who desired instruction in the professions, arts, or crafts might have their complete fees and book expenses paid during