£700 FOR THE BELGIUM CHILDREN

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2308, 16 November 1914, Page 7

£700 FOR THE BELGIUM CHILDREN

MEETING OF SCHOOLMASTERS,

There was a representative gathering of schoolmasters present at the Mayor's room on Saturday to discuss matters in connection with "Uncle Tom's" Fund for the. relief of the Belgian children, created as. the result- of an appeal to the .schoolchildren to turn Guy Fawkes' Day and its celebration into an appeal for fuiids to help the little ones in distress oh. the other side of a worried world.. .

The Mayor stated that the fund had reached the amount of £712 3s. 10di It was a noble response to the .ingenious and timely suggestion of. "Uncle Tom," and whilet a good deal of credit was due to the compliance of the schoolmasters, 1 . great pranse was due to the children,'whose pleasure had .to be Sacrificed to a. very great extent, and the amount raised, .which was to be devoted to the relief of the children of Belgium, would show the spirit of kinship which had. been exhibited by our children. " Mr. "W. C. T. Grundy (Clyde Quay) said his opinion was that the money should be Eent forward ear-marked as from the ischbolchildren of AVeilington to the children of Belgium; Mr. Parkinson thought the money should be placed in the hands of-the Belgian Consul for transmission to Belgium for the benefit of 'distressed children. .

M. Blalte (Maianui) said that they must be sure that their efforts did not miscarry;

The Chainnan said he had not heard of any amount being side-tracked so as to be of the least service to the Germans. . The fund- which Mr. Skerrefct and others were connected with—really a national fund—was for tho benefit of the distressed of Great Britain, Ireland, and Belgium. This fund, due to "Unole TomV' • enterprise, should be earmarked for the Belgian children, and go forward as a separate fund. His private opinion was that tho money should be sent through the High Commissioner, with instructions aB agreed upon.

Mr. J. B. Hopkirk (Brooklyn) said he had heard of people in New Zealand, offering to take in Belgian children. Could not the money be used in clothing them, bringing them out, and putting them in the way of being adopted. Speaking of the effort, Mr. Hopkirk said it liai resulted in the finest procession Brooklyn had ever seen. There must have been about fifty' "guys" pass through the school grounds. Mr. Bennett (Karori) a Bleed if the fund was closed. At Karori they had arranged to givo a concert in aid of the fund on December 10.

The Mayor said that the fund would remain open. He also intimated that the council's bankers, tlio Union Bank, would, ho thought, transmit the money free of cost.

On the motion of the chairman it was dccided to forward the sum of £700 to the High Commissioner (Hon. Thos. Mackenzie), to bo used solely for tlio roliof of Belgian children who have suffered through the war. On belmlf of tlio Mistresses of the Mount Cook' Girls' and Infants' Schools, Mr. Bary (Mount Cook Boys'), expressed their thanks to "Uncle Tom," the man who had asked them to kickoff.