BELGIAN CHRISTMAS FUND

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2313, 21 November 1914, Page 2

BELGIAN CHRISTMAS FUND

I/ADIBS , MEETING AT KELBUItN.

•The Hon. A. L. Herdman presided at a meeting of. Kelburn ladies which was held in the Kiosk yesterday. afternoon for the purpose of formulating a working scheme for covering the ISorthland, Kelburn, and Mitchelltown districts for shilling subscriptions towards the sum which it is proposed to raise for the purpose of providing a Christmas gift for the distressed Belgians. Iα opening the meeting, Mr. Herdman outlined the scheme which was being placed before them, end said that while a considerable amount of money had been already raised and transmitted to England for the peoplcf who'have been suffering from the war, there was need for still further effort. The amount which it was hoped to raise was £25,000, representing 600,000 shilling subscriptions. The New Zealand Government had voted. £20,000. the Australian Government £100,000, and tho British Government was lending for the reliof of Bolgium the sum' of £10,000,000. • The great service. which Belgium had rendered to France, 'to -Great Britain, indeed to the whole world, was beyond all appraisement. Upon her had fallen the brunt of the horrors of war in its initial stages, and had it not been for her the Germans would havo marched into Paris. Now they wero in possession of Belgium; they had laid waste and desolate her land, and her people were suffering unimaginablo hardships. For the purpose of doing something to assist the Belgians-they ; had met-that afternoon to establish a committee, and to ask people to contribute not more than, one shilling -to tho fund, which was to close on December 19, and would be cabled Home to the. High' Commissioner, who would see that it was disbursed in the proper way. Air. Wilson; who followed Mr. Herdman, explained that Mr. was the general secretary of the movement throughout the Dominion, and Mr. H. Amos the Wellington secretary. Various committees were being set up everywhere, and they were requested to call meetings with the' object of trying to get a large sum of money without interfering too much with existing efforts. There was about one million people in New Zealand. . It' was -not too much to divide that number into 500,000, and if each gave one shilling they would raise the sum of ■ £25,000, a fine effort to come from: the people of New Zealand.

Mr. Wilson then read a schedule ofinstructions to committees,, and on the motion of the Hon. A. L. Herdman, all the ladies at the meeting, about 25 in all,. formed themselves into n committeo—the Kelburn committee. Mrs. Buxton was elected .president, Miss Grange secretary, and Mrs. I. Salek treasurer.A comprehensive plau for covering the district/? already named was then drawn up, and a satisfactory afternoon's work terminated. Similar meetings are to be held in other districts vory shortly, and the same plan of proceedings will be followed'.