THE BELGIAN APPEAL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2398, 2 March 1915, Page 6

THE BELGIAN APPEAL

GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS SUM OF £15,000 IF SAFETY IS ASSURED No communication reached the Prime Minister yesterday in reply to his inquiry from the' Home authorities concerning the Belgian appeal. Ho has forwarded the following telegram to His Excellency the Governor at Christchurch :— "The Prime Minister • presents bis compliments, and respectfully begs to , request that His Excellency will inform the Secretary of State for the Colonies by telegraph that the New Zealand Government is prepared to forward immediately • £15,000 from the Consolidated Fund, with more to follow monthly, if the New Zealand Government can be given an assurance that the money, or the food .purchased therewith, will be used for the purpose for which it is intended." The telegram, as may be seen, does not indicate any departure by the Prime Minister from the course which he had previously declared the Government would follow. The new fact in it is the amount of' the contribution our Government is prepared to mako. SIR EDWARD CREY'S LETTER. NO INTERFERENCE WITH PRIVATE' CONTRIBUTIONS. CRbc. March 1, 9.20 p.m.) ' Sydney, March 1. Replying to Mr. W. A. Holman'e (New . South Wales Premier) cablegram respecting the Belgian appeal, Mr. T. A. Coghlan (Agent-General tor New South Wales), states that ,the Germans have not interfered with the . Belgian food supplies since the beginning of December. Faith had been kept with the agreement.. ' The British Government did not give a monthly subvention beyond a donation of £100,000, but was willing to make up -the Commission's, deficit provided the Germans ceased their pecuniary levies.

■ Sir Edward Grey's statement was really addressed beyond the Commission to German and neutral opinion, and the foreign Office is exceedingly sorry if his statement has- interfered with the flow of. private charitable contributions. A.powerful committee is be-, ing- formed, with Viscount Bryce as chairman, to carry out privately what the Government would like to do, but is prevented from doing by the German levies on the conquered country. _ The Foreign Office states that the situation regarding private subscriptions remains exactly the same as before Sir Edward Grey's letter was written. METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING FOOD. CABLEGRAM TO BELGIAN CONSUL. The following is a copy of a cablegram sent under d,ate February 26 by the Hon. C. J. Johnston, Belgian Consul, to the Belgian Ambassador, London :— "It would materially help if I could state the'method of distributing fund, and if there be. any fear, of same reaching, enemy hands."—(Sgd.) Johnston, Consul. The reply received on February 27 is as under:— "Fund is mostly employed in purchasing foodstuffs,:which are distributed in Belgium through the American Com-" mission. We have written assurances from Germany against interference. The system is satisfactory. "(Sgd.) La Laing, Belgian Legation." LOCAL EFFORTS. BOXING ASSOCIATION TO THE FORE. Whon the Management Committee of the Wellington Boxing Association met last night, the Belgian Relief Fund was, a subject under discussion, the chairman'(Mr. R. ,W. M'Villy) remarking that the association could assist by means of' a donation or by a benefit tournament. Eventually, on the motion of Mr. F. Gale, it was decided to vote the sum of 20 guineas to the fund. Mr. W. Fordham then moved, and it was further resolved, to hold a tournament, and give the net profits to the Belgian Fund. The date of the tournament was not definitely fixed. The Wellington Hotel Workers' Union has voted £5 f9r the Belgian Fund. Subscription lists havo Been,, forwarded to the employees of the. city hotels, and-from lists returned, it is stated that a union and employees' contribution of £100 to the fund is assured. Last evening the employees of Messrs. W. and G. TurnhuQ, Ltd., held a' meeting to decide as to how thev could assist the Belgian appeal. It was decided to donate monthly instalments. WANCANUI PROPOSALS. TAX ON TOTALISATOR DIVIDENDS. (By Telegraph — Pre«s • Wanganul, March 1. At a meeting of the Wanganui Chamber of Cpmmerce to-night the, following resolution-was pa6soa"This meeting is of opinion that providing assistance for the Belgians is beyond. the scope of private subscriptions, and that relief should be given systematically by the Dominion Governmcut, and that all should be compelled to contribute. Also that £55,000 monthly should he forwarded." It was further resolved to forward a copy of the resolution to the Premier.

The town clork, in a letter to the Press, proposed a 5, per cent, tax on tot'alisator dividends. On the basis of the turnover in the Dominion during the past few years, the proposed tax would provide £180,000 per annum for the relief of the Belgians. This proposal has met with the general approval of the Press and public. THE "DOMINION" LIST. Contributions to the fund for the relief of the Belgians in distress will subsequently be forwarded to the authorities ill Belgium for distribution;— 7 £ e. d. Previously acknowledged 18,096 9 6 "Taranaki Herald and Budget" Relief Fund ... 100 0 0 Justice 20. 0 0 C. M. Bacchus, Otaki 10 0 0 Elliott's Fruit Mart, Newtown (0 per cent, of takings Saturday, 'Feb. 27) 2 11 0 Watkins, Tyer, and Tolan (picnic) 0 13 6 Mrs. B 0 10 0' C.G. ... 0 10 0 s.p.c. : 0 5 0 S.C.W. 0 5 0 Total 18,231 4 0 MAYOR'S (NEW) FUND. , . £ s. d. Amount previously, acknow- 1 lodged 25 5. 0 Karori High School 0 13 0 Total 25 18 0