PATRIOTIC FUND.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11672, 12 April 1916, Page 6

PATRIOTIC FUND.

WORK OF THE COMMITTEE. 'The Patriotic Fund : Committee met in the City Council Chambers this afternoon Mr Cyris Williams, deputychairman, pre.sid.oti, and there was -a good attendance of members. Mr IT. 11. Sorousen moved: ''That no sum exceeding £IOO, should bo dealt with unless notice of motion is given seven days prior to the meeting at which .the vote is to bo discussed.'' He said that it was absolutely necessary thai; large sums should not be paid away before proper consideration was given to the circumstances. Mr T. Stone seconded the motion. .Mr'F, Horrell said that it would bo better to fix the sum at £SO or even £2.1 Mr Sorenson altered his motion to road, " That no extraordinary expenditure exceeding £SO be dealt with unless notice nf motion .is given seven days prior to the meeting At which the vote is to be discussed, and that members receive duo notice of the mattcr." . . In that form the motion was cor next. A sub-committee appointed to confer with the. Citizens' Defence Corps in respect to a Soldiers' Club recommended that the present rooms in Hereford Street should be improved, more time being-necessary to obtain material for a permanent nlaee. The report was adopted. The Navv League .wrote announcing that Mr A." Bovlc had, been elected president. ' ' ' The Hon J. T. Paul forwarded resolutions adopted by the P-atnotic Societies' Advisory Board in AYelhngton. Mr ,T. J. Dougall, the Canterbury representative on the board, said that the meeting was quite representative. Mr Paul was elected chairman. Some of tlio recommendations were very important.. One of these was that a sum for j extra coniforts, £3OOO a month, should j be subscribed by the Patriotic Societies on the quota principle. Canterbury s quota, would "bo about £ooo. Ibe Minister of Internal' Aflairs .had given an assurance- that sums -contributed In patriotic rocietics would be used toi extra comforts, outside, the. ordinary necessities. The. board considered that ■there was a distinct promise that moneys • contributed by the societies would be used in that way, being supplemental'v to the GoverniiiciH s Contributions' The board felt: that .the societies' contributions should begin from April 7 last. Appeals for sums ..from, such bodies as the Solvation Army and voung men's organisations, it was recomended. should be refused to the board, which could make recommendations to the societies as a whole. Ino idea was that if money was given to the Salvation 'Army, for instance, the board should obtain information as to now the money, .would be syent, to whom it would be banded, and so on. At pre,sent a soldier had no appeal irom a decision of the Pensions Board. There should be the right of appeal. Ihe Advisory Board, felt very strongly on that point. It was suggested that men who broke down in tuo training camps ghould be returned by the Government to their homes instead of being merely dischargd. Another recommendation was that there should bo a common form of questions to soldiers who asked for relief. It was thought that there should be a scale of payments, upon which the different societies could wor£, although it might not be absolutely binding. Members of tho board wero surprised at the liberality of the Canterbury scale. Ho informed members,, in reply, to their remarlyi, that it was no Trigher than it ought to be. (Hear, hear.) In reply to Mr H. A. .Knight, -\fi* Dougall said that) the quota for extra comforts wild bo quite outside of Red Cross contributions. , Canterbury was almost; tlio only district in'-- the. Dominion in which the Red Cross Societywas working apart from the general Patriotic Society. In England the money i would go to the War Contingent Association. It was not known definitely I to whom tho money would go directly outside of England. Mr B. Nordon said that the money would be carefully attended to by the War Contingent Association. . He was pleased at tho by the Advisory Board. . Mr W. H. Clarke said that the Patriotic Fund, Committee was appealing to the public for funds for the relief of soldiers and their dependents. Funds for comforts, he thought, should bo collected by the Red Cross Society, not by the Patriotic Fund Committee. Mr Hoitgll said that the extra comforts referred to by Mr Dougall included cigarettes, tobacco, shaving brushes, and so on. The work,- perhaps, could be better done by the Lady Liver 1 pool Fund. ,

Mr A. IT. 1 urnbull said that the committee .should do anything it icon Id do to add to the comforts of the soldiers "What did it mutter if there was a little clashing?

' Hobbs said that many peoplo had an impression that- the Queen Election contest was solely for the actual relief or soldiers and thfe'ir dependnts. If there was sufficient money for that purpose, the- question of providing comforts might then be considered.

Mr Sorenseu said that the committee should hold a special .meeting and go thoroughly .into the question of spending the committee's funds.

Mi- J. Coop said that if tho Lady Liverpool Committee was short of funds tho Patriotic Fund' Committee should help it:

On the suggestion of Mr Dougall, it was decided thai* Messrs Clarke, Knight, Nordon and Dougall should be appointed a- committor to go into tho position, and report to another meeting.

Mr Dougall said that Dr Salmond and Mr O. P. Skerrett liad been asked if patriotic societies could advance money to soldiers on security that did not corny under the Trustees Act-. Both those gentlemen had expressed an opinion in the affirmative.

Tile Mayor (Mr Holland) said that a vessel Avitli a largo number of wounded would arrive in Xew Zealand, making Lyttelton the first- port of call. He wished to know ii' the committee would meet the cost of a reception. The City Council could not find the money, because it would not meet- until the function was over. Mr Dougall said that it was a matter for the City Council to deal with.

Mr Coop said that individuals should put their hands in their pockets, and supply the money in that way.

Mr Hobbs said that the sum of about £IOO was involved. T.t was decided that the Reception Committee should be authorise to take the function in band, with power to act.

On the motion of Mr Horrell, a vote of thanks was passed to Mr Dougall for Ins iible services on the Advisory Board at Wellington.