PRACTICAL PATRIOTISM.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14206, 8 February 1915, Page 5

PRACTICAL PATRIOTISM.

ASITBURTON, Monday,

During the hist four months the Ashburton fund for the relief of distress in Britain and Belgium has been subscribed .slowly but steadily, and on Friday' its total' stood at £2500. The committee resolved a fortnight ago that a bigger effort should lie made, however, and a representative meeting of the. public was held yesterday to urge the of the fund, find to organise the collecting on a more extensive basis. It was stated that, so far, three-quarters of.' the money subscribed had been sent to Britain, and the meeting unanimously resolved that in future all the' donations would be i?i aid of tho Belgians, unless specially earmarked otherwise by the donors. .It was also decided to divide the Ashburton County into districts, aiid to canvass the wholo energetically, with a view to bringing the fund up to £5000 within a month. On Friday the County Council had voted £250 as a first instalment towards the fund, but the meeting expressed itself as dissatisfied with this, and, with only one dissentient (the county chairman), carried a resolution fishing the council to give £-000 as its next instalment. A collection was taken up in the room, and a sum of £575 secured before the meeting

closed