Bill Introduced.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20539, 14 February 1935, Page 8

Bill Introduced.

Hoarding Funds.

Mr J. A. Lee’s Scheme to Aid Returned Soldiers. (“ Star ” Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, This Day. to force certain organisations into the spending of war funds upon relief of distress among returned soldiers, a Bill was introduced into ‘the House yesterday by Mr J. A. Lee (Grey Lynn), who alleged that these funds were being hoarded. Mr Lee said that under the Bill the Minister of Defence would be empowered to compel organisations which were in his opinion hoarding war funds that should have been expended on relief of distress among returned soldiers to spend the funds at a faster rate. The Bill was not directed at any of the provincial war funds organisations, 'which in the face of great difficulties were doing very fine work. There were, however, certain Dominion bodies which, he believed, were hoarding war funds to the detriment of returned soldiers during a period when distress prevailed among those men. It therefore was desirable that greater power should be available to ensure speedier distribution of those funds for the purpose for which they had been subscribed. Mr Coates: Whose funds are these? Mr Lee: One of the Red Cross societies is hoarding funds, and I believe that the New Zealand Canteen Board could release more of the money under its control. Mr Lee added that the New Zealand War Funds Council and provincial associations could be exempted from his criticisms, but if the Canteen Board and the Red Cross used their funds over the next few years to tide returned soldiers over the crisis their energy would be well spent. In the opinion of Mr Jordan (Manukau) a definite statement should be made as to the position of the various funds. It had been stated that at the present rate of expenditure the resources would not be exhausted during the lifetime of the soldiers for whose benefit the funds had been raised. The Bill was read a first time.