WAR FUNDS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 64, 20 September 1939, Page 2

WAR FUNDS

ILstinction between this war and _tnc ast. Owing to the circumstances prevailing in 1911, the need for war unds was immediately a live issue, t is worth emphasising that tho vhole basis of war funds is the man )n active service in danger of his ife and all that means to himself iml Ills dependants. At the present ime, the immediate circumstances ire different, and there is. not the same urgent need for the raising of funds as existed at the beginning of the Great War. We now* liave time for the preparation of effective arrangements to meet the requirements af a whole-hearted and united drive, [t is desired that the Dominion's efforts should in no way be divided, j and that, pending the making of national arrangements, individual action should for the moment be withheld. The Government sees no need for funds being collected on a huge scale in advance of requirements. It feels that the spirit of those who, it is clear, are so anxious to give, will not be discouraged by the exercise oi that little restraint which may save much future embarrassment. Our people may rest assured that as and when, their generosity is required, it will be requested through properly organised channels. It is most essential, the Government feels <that bodies already in the field soliciting donations should call a halt. Within the next week at latest, all necessary machinery provisions for control of raisin,g and expenditure of war funds will be 'in operation. If necessary, those provisions will be made retrospective in their operation.

NO IMMEDIATE NEED j PREPARING CO-ORDINATED £>, . ■ SCHEMES r Th- question of Avar funds has been ' given very close attention by the 'A Government during the past week, il Mayors and other local body man hare been subjected to '' era3)l e pressure in their own districts by societies and individual citizens anxious to do something to help tho Dominion and those Avho, if the occasion calls for iwill join the British forces in the field. Actually, too; several bodies have made a beginning Avith tlie collection of funds, said the Hon W. E. Parry } Minister of Internal Affairs, in a statement in the House last Thursday. The Government lias been i"equev?*m ed to make some national policy. Taking aclvam&gS' of the special meeting of the National Centennial Council in Wellington two days ago, I discussed this matter at great length Avith the Mayors of Wellington, Dunedin, New Plymouth, Gisborne_ Napier, Blenheim, N'elson, Hokitika. ' Avho are chairmen of ten of the eleA r en Provincial Centennial Councils. The Mayor of Christchurchy Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P., Avas unable to be present, but favoured me with, his A'iews on both questions of centennial celebrations and war funds and has since agreement Avith the resolutions un- Ar animously passed by the meeting in*'™ the folloAving terms: — \ 1. That there must be some form uf national control over—(a) The pur poses for whiel? Avar funds may be raised; '(b) The methods by 'which such funds may be raised; (c) The bodies by Avliich such funds may be raised; (d) The bodies by which suck funds shall be expended.

2. That the Government, at 3S early a date as possible, make a lie announcement on the whole question of patriotic activities and war funds, giving some indication of the present and prospective needs of the Dominion in. both directions, and bring down such legislation or emergency regulations as may be sarv to control the position in the light of the preceding resolution. Effort in Last War. necessity for national control of the matters mentioned in the first of these resolutions will be only too apparent to all who were interested in the raising of war funds during, the war of 1914-1& and who have since bten concerned with their distribution. No other country in the world had a greater record ot ta.neous generosity than New Zealand during those fateful days. Apart from the huge sums collected for cxpendi-* ture in the Dominion for our own men of the expeditionary force and their dependants, gifts in money and in kind were- made to many international and Empire funds. It is worth remembering, for that New Zealand's contribution head of population (eleven shillings and sevcnperi(.e) to the Belgian Relief Fund, was more than twice as» much as that of any other country in the world—our nearest rival being Australia, with five shillings por head of population. The weakness ia our generosity, howevcr ? was mainlyin some esses, a degree of dtiy 1 iea tio'i and extravagance in the e-ost" of collection. That must n6t be allowed to happen again. Further, siftce the? War Funds 1915, Was not parsed until more than, a year after the outbreak of war, it was not possible to exercise thai: degree of control over patriotic effort which only desirable but sary to obviate misdirected orcrlapping of both effort and objectives. When it is remembered that in 1919 there were no fewer than 983 separate war funds committees in existence it is not necessary for me to * press this poir.t. The Government is giving consideration to ways and means of ensuring that both those, who will give so freely of their effort, and those who subscribe, may rest e'd that their generosity will beai» frill fruit. Neevl Not Immediate. The Government has. also been asked to give some indication of the present and prospective needs of the ; Dominion, in the direction of patriotic *4 activities and collection of war funds ■■ It is obvious, to my mind, that for the moment at least there is a. clear (Continued foot previous column)