ON ACTIVE SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2239, 27 August 1914, Page 7

ON ACTIVE SERVICE

HARBOUR EMPLOYEES AND THEIR RELATIVES

RELIEF .MEASURES

".••.' 1. ■ That the board contribute the sum of £300 to the funds now being raised during the present crisis, and tho allocation to be as under:— (a) That £100 be paid to Government to assist in the dispatch of the Expeditionary Force • now being raised. (b) That £200 bo donated to a ; Maj-oral fund to assist the dependents of thoso volunteers who have gone on activo service, and further to alleviate suffering and distress generally consequent upon the war, ' -provided the Validation' Act ia amended to make the contribution legal- . "2. That all those members .of the board's staff' who have.volunteered for service be granted leave . of absence while on' , active war service, and during the, ■pleasure of the board." The above resolution was moved at last night's meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board" by the :chairman (Mr. R. Fletcher), who suggested that members should vote on each clause 6epwately. _In regard to (a) he thought ►hat members would agree to.' the vote Unanimously as they had already expressed an opinion on the question by telegram. Captain Watson seconded the resolution..- . .-, •';.- Mr. J. Cobbe thought the amount seemed rather small to be' contributed b; a body of the standing of the Wellington Harbour Board. - Mr. O. .W. Jones said that while they were in sympathy with the object,.it had to be recollected that they were giving away public money. .If.they increased the amount it would have to be collected out of the pockets of people who might already ; have contributed -through other channels. -. '.. Mr. R. A. Wright' supported the views expressed by Mr. Cobbe. Seeing that other boards-had given much more; he thought the least the Wellington Harbour Board could do would be to contribute the sum. of £1000. Mr. A.-'H. ;Hindmarsh considered it was absurd to contend that because the board was a local' body it should not make a substantial grant.. The board had considerable property' and any. grant should be regarded as. an amount spent in the protection of that property. He did not say the £100 vote should be increased, but he regarded the amount set aside for the relief fund as quite inadequate. 'Mr. J. W. M'Ewan thought £100 was 6uffioient to.show that the board was in complete -sympathy with the Government in the move taken. But the defence of the country was purely «i : State function. ' Mr.'M. Cohen agreed that the vote was purely" a' sentimental approval of the Government's action, but, tie board , was not entitled to go further and impose a tax upon the community. ' It was for the Government to do that. The chairman' said that. was exactly his idea when he first proposed the vote. Any tax, which had subsequently to be imposed by the Government, would not be objected,to'by any local body or any person in the community. The first portion of the resolution was tiien put-to-the'vote'-ana'carHed'unani-mously. "■ l '.' , w i »' In speaking to clause (b)'of the resolution, the chairman said he thought every local .body' should contribute to a-'-fu'hd-of-the kind.mentioned, and should further do all it could to institute work to alleviate suffering that' would occuM To b certain extent shipping would be dislocated by the withdrawal of a number of ;vessejs to act as troopships, and somi) distress might he caused on-this account until'other ships took up the running. The amount ■ set down might perhaps have.to be supplemented by other grants from time to time. ; Mr. Cohen, while not opposing the grant, would have preferred to see every work, which the board had in view, pub; into operation if that were possible.' Tho chairman: It can't be done. Mr. Cohen said at heho?ed that they would push forward with every work possible,_ and do what they could in that direction to improve the situation; He* did not think, however, that thoy should anticipate suffering. .In hie . our products were likely to increase considerably, and it seemed to him that the country was on the eve of ;a. wave of prosperity. • .-.-.■ Mr. Hindmarsh moved as ( an amendment ' that the grant be increased to £400. The chairman suggested to let £200 go through,'and they could vote other sums from time to time as occasion required. ■' .-' • Mr. Hindmarsh' declined to withdraw the amendment. Mr. Wright seconded the amendment 1 because he thought there might be heavy tails upon the fund for the relief of, the relatives of those who went to the : n:ont. The board might w#ll make a ■ mbstantial grant from the amounts they iad in hand. .' ' -■•: Mr. Jones considered that members of the board had ho right to sit round the table and vote other people's money away. He was not opposing the motion, but regarded it as an indication of sympathy with the movement. For the rest, it was a. matter for the Government to carry out, and if they doubled his income tax he could not object.. He protested, however, on behalf of the public, against this indiscriminate voting of monej , Messrs. Daniell, M'Ewan, and Harkpess all agreed that tho sum mentioned In tho resolution w».s quite sufficient at the present stage of affairs. Mr. Cobbe thought the amount' suggested in the resolution was miserably >ut of proportion to what was required. Ie supported the amendment. The chairman expressed the opinion that tho snm of £200 was as much as Fas needed •at th? present time, and • 'urther sums could be voted if occasion irose. The main tb.ing was to establish he fund. ■ The amendment on being put to the ote was lost, and Clause (b.) of tho reolulion was carried unanimously. Li regard to the remaining portion f ; the resolution, the chairman, in anwer to a question by Mr. Hindmarsh, ■xplained that every employee of the oard, who had gone to the front, was ■ member of the Superannuation Fund,, nd held a life insurance policy with ho Government Insurance Department, j that their relatives woujd be provided ->T in case of any serious happening. [0 felt sure, too, $at the State would so that the families of those who went ■> the front would not suffer. Altoether, 13 of the board's employees had one to the frontj and about half a' ozen were doing duty at tho forts. In sgafd to the latter, it was.proposed 3 give them full pay for ordinary time. \ tJsssL-jreceived ar-.v pay from the Demce Desartment, they would be given lie difference between such pay and full ■ay. On being put to te meeting, the regaining part of the resolution was cari.cd unanimonsly. An enthusiastic meeting of ex-Army en and others was held in Napier last ight, Mr. J. R. Kessell presiding, hen a branch of the Legion of Froncrsmen.was: formed, to be attached to le Hastings branch. —Special Corresnident, .1. H'Clinton's Colleen Soap softens and rotects skin.. Countess ' of. Kintore rites: '.'M'Clinton's. Soap leaves feeling ' velvety' softness,"—AdvU