RED TRIANGLE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14622, 29 January 1918, Page 5

RED TRIANGLE DAY.

WAR WORK OF THE V.M.C.A

APPEAL FOR FUNDS,

/A public meeting Avas held at the City Council Chambers last night for the pia-pose of making arrangements for the Red Triangle Day to be teld on March loth to raise funds for the V.M.C.A., and to hear representatives on the Avork of the Association. The Mayor (Mr \V. W. Snodgrass) occupied the chair, and there Avas a large attendance, including many ladies. The Mayor said they had assembled to meet representatives of the V.M.C.A., which had done so Avell for our soldiers of the Empire. He then introduced Messrs A. Varney (national secretary), AY. H. George (commissioner) and F. Milner (a member of the National Committee). Mr Varney explained that they were now arranging a campaign for funds to meet the extended efforts of the V.M.C.A. What Avas required AA-as a sum eqiyil to £1 for each soldier.per year. He detailed the various institutions the V.M.C.A. had established in Wellington, Trentham, Tauherenikau, Awapuni and other places where soldiers were grouped. By tlie time the first draft of the Second Division went into camp in May the V.M.C.A. Avould be ready for them, Avith a hostel for their Avives. Proceeding, Mr Varney described the Avork of the V.M.C.A. on the troopships, in London, and in the training camps in England. In London they had a building which cost £15,000, at Avhich soldiers could obtain a bed and breakfast for Is 6d. They had fovr field secretaries, avlio gave advice to soldiers on leave as to the best threatres and slioav places to visit, or, if they desired it, soldiers were found accommodation in a quiet English home. As soon as the troops arrived in France the V.M.C.A. is there, and the wants of tlie men are looked to from the landing to the trendies. In Palestine a knoAvledge of the country through Avhicii the soldiers Avere passing Avas given by means of lectures, Avhich helped to entertain the men. In conjunction Avitb the Red Cross the V.M.C.A. looked after the wounded. The whole of the service rendered to the NeAv Zealand soldiers, numbering 75,000, cost £1 per head per year. Mr Varney said the V.M.C.A. Avas going to extend its Avork in the streets of London, and a prominent member of Parliament Avould be among the Avorkers iv that great city this1 year. The V.M.C.A. desired to do all it could for the. boys, and they had decided to ask tlie people of Nelson district for £5000. The United States Avas going to stand behind its soldiers in the great Avork they had in front of them, and Mr Varney said the NeAv Zealand V.M.C.A. wanted to serve our men equally well.

Mr F. Milner, a member of the National Council of the V.M.C.A., said that the solidity of the work of the V.M.C.A. presented a case of such merit ttat it did not require much elaboration. With the help of prominent business men and patriotic women the effort should be a st.ceess. The work being done by the Y.M.C.A.*was conducive to military efficiency in an amazing degree, and was the only work tolerated in the front line trenches. The V.M.C.A., as one man had said, were "all right, although they were Christians." (Laughter). It was an efficient organisation, doing sound, able work, with a maximum of efficiency at a minimum cost. In conclusion, Mr Milner said the V.M.C.A. did not work in antagonism to any other patriotic organisation.

Mr C. L. C. Smith, wl:o served with the Main Australian body at Gallnx>li and in Egypt and France, said that the V.M.C.A. was every where. Coming ou,t'of the trenches it was a. great boon to the men. The V.M.C.A. was also fortunate in the men that it >.ad sent to look after its interests. Tv England the men were well looked after, and it was satisfactory to know that any profit derived from the small charge made for refreshments went to provide free refreshments for the troops in the first line.trenches.

Mr W. IT. Goorge, commissionor, prefaced his remarks by loading extracts from letters received from soldiers in which the writers described the work that was being done for soldiers in London by the V.M.C.A. Referring to the campaign, he said he had no doubt it would be a great success. The question was: Is there need for the V.M.C.A. ? After reading the paper that morning if they had any doubt about it? Tl:e peace terms put forward by Germany meant another winter campaign. It did not mean cities and towns starving, but nations starving and suffering privations. It was going to be a terrible time. In New Zealand, far away from this trouble and suffering, it was up to us to do what we could to lighten the load of the soldiers. The V.M.C.A. was the arm that would bring the touch of home to those boys. The organisation was read^, all that was required was funds to carry on the work, and it, would be done with efficiency and economy. The V.M.C.A. was not ae- ' cumulating funds to fix on deposit until after the war. Every penny that was being raised was being spent. The income of the V.M.C.A. from the beginning of the war to November, 1916, was £3,648,630, and the expenditure .£3,644,431,-which...showed . that the money was being spent. All the money that would, he collected this year would be spent before March, 1918. Mr George then referred to tie ad-

ministration of the fund, and read the

names of the gentlemen comprising the financial executive and the National

Council, which he said should be a sufficient guarantee that the funds were well looked after. The books of

the Association were audited monthly, and were open at any time for inspection by subscribers. The cost of administration was 3 per cent., which was equal to the administration of the Red Cross, which was the lowest in the world. They would agree with him that it, was a bi-isim\s.'ilike proposition to'send mon to the countries where the troops were to see that the money was

being properly spent. Not one penny of the funds raised was snent in supervision, and the commissioners did not receive any payment for their services.

They had paid officials, but they would

expect that in any efficient business. The whole of the money raised was being spent on the soldiers, not on their own local work, and this would be tie policy of the Association until the end. "The fact is,'' said Mr George, "you are giving to the boys and not to the V.M.C.A." If it*cost £200 to eqt.ir> a man for war, surely it was worth while to spend £1 in giving him a touch of home. Tl;e appeal was the only one that would he made, and they did not desire to divert money from any other fund. All they wanted was the public to give something extra.

The Mayor mentioned that £2.~00 had been sent from Nelson to tl:e V.M.C.A. . ■ '

The Mayor was appointed ch.iirvrwi of the committee, with Mrs Crawford an secretary and Mr C. Milner as assistant secretary.. ,

The .'election- of committee was deferred until Thursday cvenine.

On the motion of Mr Hamoson, seonnoSd by Mr T. Pettit,. n hearty yote of thanks was pocorded thn visiting speakers, by acclamation, and tre meeting adjourned.

Some;.•: interesting information in connection witlithe work of the V M.O.A. for New Zealand soldiers was given by Mr W. H. George, a member of the executive of the National Committee, and Mr A. Varney, national secretary of that organisation, in an interview. Mr George has for years been an ardent supporter of the Association, and in the year following the outbreak of war lie went as an honorary commissioner to Egypt at his own expense to observe and report upon the work of the Association for New Zealand soldiers. His present visit with Mr Varney to this centre is in connection with th© Y.M.O.A. appeal for funds in aid of the upkeep of its war Avork. Notwithstanding the magnitude of its operations for our men on active service this is the first occasion on Avhich the V.M.C.A. has made a direct Do-minion-wide appeal to the people for the service Avhicii makes so greatly for the well-being of our soldiers Discussing this effort, Mr George said: ' 'The requirements for money Avhicii the public are asked to subscribe are not in any way connected with the ordinary activities of the Association, but represeut the imperative and pressing needs of the direct service for our men in training camps here in New Zealand and at the front. It is hoped, that at least £75.000 Avill be raised, which is loss than £1 per man- for twelve months for the New Zealand fighting forces —a remarkably modest request Avhen the effectiveness and benefits of the service are considered. The National Committee of the V.M.C.A. is faced immediately with the necessity of making provision for tlie needs of tie soldiers over tlie coming winter at the front. The last balance-sheet of* the New Zealand Council showed a credit of £20,000, which has since been expended on behalf of our. lighting men, and but for a special contribution recently generously made from the Auckland district the funds for this national work would now have been almost exhausted. Provision must be made without delay for the difficult period of the coming winter at the front, with" its attendant hardships and trials for tre men, if the present V.M.C.A. service, which has become part of the military life of the soldier, is to be maintained. .

"It has to be remembered that the V.M.C.A. is in the forward areas Avorking in diiect co-operation Avith the military authorities in ministering; to trench' comforts, etc. Quite 90 per cent of the people of Now Zealand are directly interested in thig Avork Avhich the V.M.C.A. is performing for their relations and irionds, -\nd by its highlypurfected organisation the Association is simply a channel through which public .subscriptions pass for tho beneiit of the men.

''Red Triangle Day is the designation appropriately chosen for the date of this appeal, for over every marquee, hut and dug-out under the direction of the V.M.C.A., in every theatre of" war, and in every training camp Avhere .New Zealand troops are quartered, the emblem of the Association—-the lied Triangle—proclaims a welcome."