PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2330, 11 December 1914, Page 3

PATRIOTIC FUNDS

DISTRESS BELIEF FUND

FOE THE POOR OF GREAT BRITAIN. IRELAND, AND BELGIUM. The Wellington Committee of the Poor of Great Britain and Ireland and Belgium Relief. Fund acknowledges receipt of the following donations to the Fund:— £ b. d. Previously acknowledged 14,818 110 N. B. Austin 0 10 0 Huntervilla War Relief Fund: .... 90 0 0 Officers Swear-box, Fort Ballauce 1 0 0 Abbott, Oram, and Co 100 0 0 Total .....15,009 11' lO • Donors of clothing are requested to note that the Olothmg Fund will be closed on the 14th instant, after which date all gifts of clothing must be forwarded direct to the High Commissioner. in London. "THE DOMINION" LISTS. The following are the donations to The Dominion's War Fund lists to date;— BELCIAN RELIEF FUND. Contributions to the fund for the relief of the Belgians in distress will subsequently be toiwardod to the authorities in Belgium for distribution. . £ a. d. .Amount previously acknowledged 6814 5 0 Wainui-o-mata School chil- , dren 5 6 0 A.J.M. 20 0 Christmas tree and bran tub, organised by three little girls at Kilbirnie, Margaret Collins, Dora ■ Curtis, and Madge Griffifths (second instalment . 7 6 ■ Total .. 6821 17 6 ONLY A FORTNIGHT'S FOOD IN SICHT. BELGIUM'S DESPERATE PLIGHT. By Teleeroph—Press Association—Oopyrieht • London, December 9. Sir Gilbert Parker, M.P., on behalf of the American Relief Commission, has visited' Holland, which, he says, has done all that is possible. The Belgian municipalities have, only food for the next week or fortnight.' Barely over one-third of: a soldier's ration is . given each inhabitant daily. He desoribes the necessarily cheerless and ill-venti-lated, quarters .in Bheds. Amongst straw and a few blankets men, women, and children are huddled together promiscuously and in misery. The worst conditions are at Rotterdam, where the refugees are sheltered in iron lighters without fires. • The quarters are not fit homes for cattle. He gives a heartrending .picture of the refugee camp in the , various' Dutch centres. 'For normal requirements three hundred thousand tons of food per month is wanted. The American Commission is appealing for eighty thousand tons, which will provide less than one-half, a soldier's ration for each Belgian. Sir George Reid's inquiries. show that there is little prospect of Belgian children orphaned bv the war emigrating to Australia. Possibly some British and' French , will go, also many young widows with children.