PATRIOTIC CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2408, 13 March 1915, Page 8

PATRIOTIC CONFERENCE

DISPOSAL OF CONTRIBUTIONS AND FUNDS. The following resolutions were x passed at a conference held at Government House yesterday afternoon, .presided over by His Excellency the Governor, as which-the Prime 'Minister" (Right Hon. W. F. Massey), tho' Minister of Finance (Hon. J. Allen), representatives of various patriotic committees, and. delegates from the centres of. the Association of St. John of Jerusalem throughout the Dominion, were present: 1. That the, Government be recommended to make a definite grant of £5000 per month, and in addition to subsidise at the rate of, £ for £ as voluntary; subscriptions up to any amount not exceeding £5000 . per month raised in New Zealand for tho relief of tho Belgian nation.

2. That voluntary subscriptions bo asked for on a population basis. 3. That a central authority be appointed by the Minister of Finance J dealing with the transmission of all gifts both in money and kind for relief of tlie poor in the United Kingdom and Belgium.

4. That all donations in money foi Red Cross purposes be sent either direst from the centres of the Association of St. JoTin in • the Dominion to the Headquarters in London or through the medium of the above-mentioned authority if tbe centres so desire. Further, that the above-mentioned authority should be available for making all arrangements in connection with . the transmission of' other gifts contributed in New Zealand for Red Cross purposes, which in the first instance should' be sent through the various centres of the Order of St. John in accordance with the working arrangement arrived at between. the Association of St. John and the Red Cross Society in the United Kingdom. ,