PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 228, 21 October 1940, Page 5

PATRIOTIC FUNDS

THE ALLOCATION PUZZLE NO UNFAIRNESS INTENDED" Since publishing our remarks, on the allocation of funds raised in thils district, and venturing the opinion that the Borough was benefitting unfairly at the expense of the County centres, we have had an interview with the Mayor, Mr B, S. Barry, who has explained the whole position. The entire method of raising funds is so involved today, that we can be excused to some extent for concluding that the representations of district chairmen were correct and that a wrong was being done oiur friends in the country, but at the same time in order to clari 1 - fy the position we hasten to correct the impression which was given in our article on Friday's issue; The surmise that the Borough was gaining* an unfair advantage over

the country people by dint of/Jhe BEACON subscription list was clue to the understanding that the allocations were made on a population basis. This is not so. The assessments were purely speculative and as a result Whakatane was expected to find 30 per cent, of the entire sum allocated to the Whakatane County. Had it been on a population basis—with the town's 2000 inhabitants/ against the County's 11000 it would have been approximately .18 per cent. Thus the slip has occurred in the overloading of the Borough in the first instance. It was in order to obtain a levelling up in this respect that the Patriotic Committee decided to credit the Borough with the proceeds of the BEACON list. This arrangement was however unknown to us until explained by Mr Barry and though we are endeavouring to clear the position, at the same time we cannot but venture the opinion that it is still far from satisfactory and should have been made more widely known before the list was opened.

As it stands at present the county areas will suffer on acount of a slip in the initial allocation of the amount to be raised in the borough. Had this been more generally recognised it can be said with all sincerity that it is doubtful whether the BEACON list would be where it is to-day. In fairness to everybody it would be better to make public a clearly defined course of action in connection with the allocation of Patriotic funds of future campaigns, and thus avoid the confusion which has attended the present drive.