NO IMMEDIATE NEED

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 59, Issue 4189, 22 September 1939, Page 5

NO IMMEDIATE NEED

TO RAISE PATRIOTIC FUNDS, MINISTER PREPARING CO-ORDI-NATED SCHEMES. “ The Government feels it most essential that bodies already in the field soliciting donations should call a halt,” said the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. W. E. Parry, in announcing that the Government expected to be able to publish next week emergency regulations dealing with patriotic funds to be established during the war. Concern was expressed by the Minister that, in spite of the position in the raising of war funds outlined by the Government last week, a number of bodies in New Zealand were promoting campaigns for the collection of donations for war purposes.

“ Within the next week at the latest all the necessary machinery provisions for the control of the raising and expenditure of war funds will be in operation,” said Ma 1 Parry. “If necessary those provisions will be made retrospective in their operation. I can assure the bodies that by continuing in spite of the Government’s request they are doing a dis-service not only to the community but to themselves.

“ The preparation of the emergency regulations in- respect of war funds is being proceeded with rapidly, and I earnestly ask that all arrangements already made and proposed to be 'made be deferred until the" regulations have been issued. Provision is being made in those regulations to deal with moneys already collected.” THE POSITION REVIEWED. The question of war funds has been given very close attention by the Government during the past week. Mayors and other local body chairmen have subjected to considerable pressure in their own districts by societies and individual citizens anxious to help New Zealand and those who, if the occasion calls for it, will join the British forces in the field. Actually, too, several bodies have made a beginning with the collection of funds, Mr Parry continued. “ The Government has been requested to make some pronouncement of national policy. Taking advantage of the special meeting of the National Centennial Council in W<ellington recently, I discussed this matter at great length with the Mayors of Auckland, Wellington, Napier, Dunedin, Ne'w Plymouth, Gisborne, Blenheim, Nelson, Hokitika, and Invercargill, who are chairmen of ten of the eleven Provincial Centennial Councils.

“ The Mayor of Christchurch, Mr R. M. McFarlane, M.P., was unable to be present, but favoured me with his views on both questions of centennial celebrations and war funds, and has since expressed agreement with the resolutions unanimously passed by the meeting in the following terms;—•

“‘l. That these must be some form of national control over (a) the purposes for which war funds may be raised; (b 3 the methods by which such funds may be raised; (c) the bodies by which such funds may be raised; and (d) the bodies by which such funds shall be expended. “‘2. That the Government at as early a date as possible make a public announcement on the whole question of patriotic activities and war funds, giving some indication of the present and prospective needs of New Zealand in both directions, and bring down such legislation or emergency regulations as may be necessary to control the position in the light of the preceding resolution.’

EFFORTS IN LAST WAR. “ The necessity for national control of the matters mentioned in the first of these resolutions will’be only too apparent to all who were interested in the raising of war funds during the war of 1914-1918, and who have since been concerned with their distribution,” the Minister proceeded. “No country in the world had a greater record of spontaneous generosity than New Zealand during those fateful days. Apart from, the huge sums collected for expenditure in the Dominion for our own men of the expeditionary force and their dependents, gifts in money and in kind were made to many international and Empire funds. It is worth remembering, for instance, that New Zealand’s contribution (Ils 7d) per head of population to the Belgian Relief Fund was more than twice as much as that of any other country in the world, our nearest rival being Australia, with 5s per head of population. “ The weakness in our generosity, however, was mainly, in some cases, a degree of duplication and extravagance in the cost of collection. That must net be allowed to happen again. Further, since the War Funds Act of 1915 was not passed until more than a year after the outbreak of war, it was not possible to exercise that degree of control over patriotic effort which was not only desirable but absolutely necessary to obviate misdirected overlapping of both effort and objectives. “W|hen it is remembered that in 1919 there were no fewer than 983 separate war funds committees in existence, it is not necessary for me to press this point. “ The Government is giving serious consideration to ways and means of ensuring that both those who will give so freely pf their effort, and those who subscribe, may rest assured that their generosity will' bear fruit. NEED NOT IMMEDIATE. “ The Government has also been asked to give some indication of the present and prospective needs of the Dcmjinion in the direction of patriotic activities and collection of war funds. It is obvious to my mind,” said Mr Parry, “ that for the moment at least there is a clear distinction between this war and the last. Owing to the circumstances prevailing in 1914 the need for war funds was immediately a live issue. It is worth emphasising that the whole basis of. war funds is the 'man on active service in danger of his life and all that that means to himself and his dependants. At the present time the imjmediat circumstances are different, and there is

not the same urgent need for the raising of funds as existed at the beginning of the Great War. W'e now have time for the preparation of effective arrangements to meet the requirements of a whole-hearted and united drive. “ It is desired that New Zealand’s efforts should in no way be divided, and that, pending the making of national arrangements, individual action should for the moment be withheld. “ The Government sees no need for funds being collected on a huge scale in advance of requirements. It feels that the spirit of those who, it is clear, are so anxious to give, will not be discouraged by the exercise of that little restraint which may save much future embarrassment. Our people may rest assured that as and when their generosity is required it will be requested through properlyorganised channels. “ It is most essential, the Government feels, that bodies already in the field soliciting donations should call a halt,” concluded Mr Parry. “Within the next week at latest all necessary machinery provisions for control of raising and expenditure of war funds will be in operation. If necessary, those provisions will be made retrospective in their operation.”