H—22A.

1941. NEW ZEALAND.

NATIONAL PATRIOTIC FUND BOARD (REPORT OF) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30th SEPTEMBER, 1940.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Regulation 21 of the Patriotic Purposes Emergency Regulations 1939.

The Hon. the Minister of Internal Affairs. The New Zealand National Patriotic Fund Board has the honour to present its first annual report covering the year ended 30th September, 1940. An interim report, dated 28th May, 1940, was submitted to Parliament during the year. Introductory. Under the Patriotic Purposes Emergency Regulations 1939 the complete control of the collection and expenditure of money for patriotic purposes was vested in eleven Provincial Councils, and a National Patriotic Fund Board, and, in addition, there was constituted a National Patriotic Council, charged with the duty of advising these bodies and the Minister, and of co-ordinating the efforts of all concerned. The object of limiting the number of Patriotic Funds was to prevent a situation arising similar to that which existed during the last war, when upwards of six hundred patriotic funds were established without the necessary co-ordinating machinery, the result being an overlapping of effort, and a certain amount of dissatisfaction with the disbursement of the funds. Although this report covers the activities of the National Patriotic Fund Board only, it also relates, in general terms, to the work of various allied organizations, including the Provincial Patriotic Councils and social welfare organizations. Despite preliminary difficulties, brought about by a lack of understanding of the purposes of the regulations, which are protective rather than restrictive, the work of the Board and its allied organizations has proceeded smoothly, and the response to public appeals for money, gift goods, and assistance has been liberal. In each of the eleven zones or provincial patriotic districts into which the Dominion is divided for administration purposes the Provincial Patriotic Council concerned has full control over the collection and expenditure of money for patriotic purposes, and this fact cannot too often be stressed, in view of the erroneous impression current at the outset that the Government had more than an audit control over the funds collected. Regulations have now been introduced in Great Britain, Australia, Canada, and the United States of America providing for a general control of the collection and expenditure of patriotic moneys. It is understood that New Zealand was in the forefront in adopting this method of control. In dealing with the subject of control of patriotic moneys in Australia the report on the activities of the Lord Mayor's Patriotic War Fund of New South Wales up to the 13th March, 1940, states : — "For the first time in the history of any patriotic fund in Australia one single organization was asked to take over and maintain a continual and adequate supply of comforts to members of the fighting forces, and at the same time to co-ordinate and direct into the most economic and useful channels the material and financial efforts of the citizens." The fact that other Empire Governments have also passed regulations to co-ordinate the activities of patriotic fund organizations within their countries proves the wisdom of the action of the New Zealand Government in taking steps, immediately the war broke out, to place the work of all patriotic organizations within the Dominion on a properly co-ordinated and satisfactory basis.

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