The Press. Tuesday, January 28, 1919. Government and War Funds.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16432, 28 January 1919, Page 6

The Press. Tuesday, January 28, 1919. Government and War Funds.

That it was necessary to havo some Government supervision and control of War Funds raised by public subscription is admitted, and, with tho general principle of tho War Funds Act and its amendments most people agree. There seems a danger, however, --of the Government exercising their powers in : a way not contemplated by Parliament t?hen the Act was passed, and in a manner which may do harm instead of good. The main objects in passing legislation on this subject were: (1) To protect tho publio against fraudulent appeals, and even against appeals in which there was manifest overlapping of effort; and (2) to make provision for tho proper utilisation of a fund ' which is no longer available or needed \ for tho purpose for which it was originally subscribed. The Government, according to statements made by the Minister of Internal Affairs, appear to fco going further than this. It is (heir intention, we are told, to refuse permission for the establishment of any fund that will distract public attention from tho importance of as much money as possible being raised for the benefit of our returning soldiers. Acting on this principle the Minister of Internal Affairs has refused for the pre-

sent to authorise the establishment of A fund. f«T.<*ie erection of a war memo-

rial in South Canterbury. The Govern-1 went, ho states, is of opinion that, "in j ''view of urgent claims of many men' "now returning for assistance in repatriation and in the starting of "homes, etc., the question "of establishing memorials should for "the present bo postponed, and that "our attention at present should, as "far as possible, bo devoted to raising "funds for, and generally assisting in, " the important work of repatriation "and of assisting the dependants of " those who have made the supreme " pncrifice, or who have been injured in war service. 1 ' Wo quite agree with the view of the Government that the repatriation of our soldiers, and provision for soldiers' dependants are duties which claim attention, even before the erection of memorials to the honoured dead. But we agree also with the South Canterbury committee that repatriation is a duty which falls upon the Government, and our soldiers in this respect ought not to bo dependent upon private benevolenco. On the other hand, the ercction of a memorial comes better as the spontaneous and grateful offering of the people, even although the Government may, and as we think ought to, subsidise voluntary efforts in this direction. The Ministry may very properly say that they will not subsidise any war memorial funds until repatriation has first been provided for, but if they take tho extreme course of saying they will not allow any war memorial funds to be started they will, in our opinion, make a mistake. It is, as wo havo before pointed out, very easy to check the springs of private giving, and when onco tho flow is stopped it is not easy to start it again. It is unlikely that those persons who wanted to give money for the South Canterbury "War Memorial will, at tho dictation of tho Government, hand over their donations to a Repatriation Fund; still less that they will givo to a Repatriation Fund now, and to a Memorial Fund later on. Besides, if tho Government attempts to impose restrictions now, it may soon find itself in an awkward position. Some memorial funds have already been started, and aro well advanced; wo presume these will hardly be interfered with, and yet it would be hardly fair to let them monopolise the field. Again, it will bo very difficult to discriminate. The Government, having allowed, very pruporly as wo think, a fund to be started for tho purchase of Lancaster Park, will find itself in an illogical position if it refuses to authorise the collection of money for a memorial of another kind in another place. If are wise, they will use their powers simply to prevent exploitation, overlapping, and waste; they will not refuse permission to collect funds for a'worthy object simply on ,tho ground that, in their opinion, the time is not opportune.