A NATIONAL FOND

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2461, 14 May 1915, Page 3

A NATIONAL FOND

FOR OUR SOLDIERS & SAILORS

PATRIOTIC SOCIETY MOVEMENT

The establishment of a New Zealand National Fund was urged by a deputation which was introduced to the Mayor yesterday b.y the Hon. J. G. W. Aitken. The deputation' brought under His Worship's .notice officially the following resolution of the New Zealand Patriotic Society:—

"That the executive confer with His Worship tho ;Mayor with tho object of arranging a deputation to the Prime Minister to place before him the suggestion put forward of raising a national fund for the benefit of our soldiers and sailors; such deputation to consist of the Mayor, members of Parliament for -the City and Suburbs, City Councillors, members of Harbour Boards, and otter public bodies, the executive of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Patriotic Society, and leading citizens."

Mr. H. G. Hill explained that the feeling had been expressed that the time was now opportune to make a national movement of the efforts made to collect funds, paying the contributions ■from every place in New Zealand into a national* fund, to be disbursed by the Mayors of' Auckland, AVellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, and possibly three well-known business men to act as trustees of the fund' The objects should be for the supplementing of any funds or pensions that the Government .might decide to pay wounded soldiers and the dependents of those who had ■fallen in tlie war. The casualty lists coming in showed tliat tho time was urgent. Sir. L. 0. H, Tripp supported Mr. Hill. He thought the .time had certainly arrived for.one great united New Zealand fund to supplement what the Government did for the wounded 6oldiers and those who were dependent upon the men who had fallen. If the scheme were properly worked, lie believed that a very large fund would be created. The Mayor of Wellington was the man to start the work, and he suggested that a public meeting should be called at oncc, and leading citizens should be invited to form committees, so that they could get. to work without Joss of time.

Mr. S. Kirkcaldie referred' to what had happened when tho men returned from the Boer War. It had to be remembered that there were in the ranksmen of all professions, who had . made great sacrifices to serve their country. He thought that if the proposed national movement resulted in the starting of a great national fund, it would exercise a powerful stimulus on recruiting, and do far more than all the *Mr. It, A. Wright, M.P., felt sure the movement would be readily taken ■up all over the Dominion once it was properly started. Tne Mayor agreed , that there was no more important matter to be attended to at the pr"sent t'me than provision for' the men who would be coming back wounded and for the dependents of those who had fallen on the battlefield. He felt sure the heart of the people would be in such a movement. It certainly should be national and not local, and should gather up all local efforts.. and interest. He believed the Government pensions would be adequate according r n the financial resources of the co'intry, but they would undoubtedly h.r.'o "to be supplemented, so he was quite at one with the committee of the Patriotic Society in that matter. When the war broke out he approached the Prime Minister-and the Minister of Defence suggesting the building up there and then of a. national fund, and the appointment of trustees for it; but nothing came of the master. He behoved the movement in the lories row proposed would be readily tak°.n ..p all over the country. He was quite willing to call a public woot.ng for the purpose, and to be associated with the proposed deputation to tho Prime Minister.