PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2512, 13 July 1915, Page 2

PATRIOTIC FUNDS

MAKING iOUR BOYS COMFORTABLE

AT HOME AND ABROAD

The Major (Mr. ,T. P. Luke), Messrs. I J. J. Clark (Mayor of.Dunedin), the Hon. J. ,G. W. Aitken, Messrs, I). Ewen, James 'Macintosh, C. M. Luke, 'Rev. H. Van Scaveren, C. E. Smith (secretary), and J. It. Palmer (treasurer) were 'present at a meeting of the Mayor's Patriotic Fund Committee held in tha Mayor's room .yesterday afternoon. Apologies for absence were received from the Bishop of Wellington (Dr. Sprott), the Kev. W. H. Hinton, and ,Mr. ffni. Ferguson.

I For the Boys,at the Front. The. Mayor stated that after consultation' with other members lie had handed to the JtoV. Major Dutton, chaplain of the Hospital Ship the sum of'.£2oo to be used for tho benefit of any invalids whoso circumstances the chaplain considered necessitated "some, extra comforts that might be available if the funds were at hand to procure such. Mr. Dutton was asked to apply this- as far as possible to men from the Wellington district, including Waligaiiui and Hawko's Bay, but was given to understand that lie might use his own discretion in the case of urgent circumstances connected with any wounded soldier of. the Empire.

The action of the Mayor in donating to the ladies' Committee out of the funds for the benefit of the men in camp was also approved.

' Camp Comforts, ■_ The' Mayor reported that after consulting available members of the committee it .was decided to send a supply of apples to the troopships on the day of their doparture...ln all ?59 cases were placed on board the transports, and were duly acknowledged with thanks. 'In the in conjunction with the" Camp .Committee, tho Mayor forwarded about .'three wwks back a' supply of fruit, tobacco, and cigarettes, together with some .games; different hospitals where -■ the measles patients were confined. This was very much -appreciated, and a further supply was sent out last . week. In^both instances the action of the Mayor was approved. A letter was received from tho Auckland Patriotic-League enclosing a donation of .£SO, to be spent- for the benefit of the troops in camp. ■ Such payment was not, however, to be taken as a pledge that regular payments would be- made for such expenditure, but ex gratia, as the committee held that with tho disbursements that were being made in Wellington on account'of the troops, .Wellington should bo content to provide such entertainment for those in camp. Tho South Canterbury Public Safety Committee advised Wellington of its decision 'to contribute .£25 towards the Camo Committee's funds. A further 425 was received from the Lady Liverpool Committee of' Christchurch for the Camp Committee's work, making <£50 in all subscribed from Christchurch.

•Mr. Clark intimated that £ob couid be expected from the Otago Committee. Mr.'- George Shirtcliffo' forwarded a cheque for £25 as delegate for ilio SouthCanterbury Committee for the samo purpose.

In-referring to the Auckland Committee's point thrt Wellington should be only too.glad to find the money for the Camp Committee's work the Mayor stated that there might.be something in the Con. tention, but pointed out that Wellington was doing a good deal of work individually that did _ not come within the purview of any committee. ,

An -application for sonio assistance towards the social' work which the Salvation Army was canning on at' Trsnthain was received. In view ■of tho fact that tho action of making such a grant would entitle all other denominations to equal treatment and that-tho Trentham Camp had been dispersed, it was decided to take no action 1 in tho matter. The secretary (Mr. C. R. Siuilth) pointed out that the grant to the Y.M.C.A. of .£4O was made, towards the oos't of tho building after the plans had been submitted to the committee, and itho oertain extensions suggested were adopted. It was not a grant to the work itself. ,

Lieut. Bird, writing from Tauherenikau, wrote Hint there was a shortage of toJvicco nnd cigarettes owing to the quarantining of Trenthomj' also that, a supply of socks would he welcome. It was decided to send a supply of tobacco and cigarettes at once to each of the carifps. The Mayor reported that the Ttqiiest for socks had beeit handed over to Mrs. Lube, whose committee wa9 attending to the matter:

Sad Cases. "An application was" received on behalf of ..a Wellington woman, whose husband had been .a reservist, vand had answered the call and been .killed in Flanders. As. sistance was,needed to -.send her to England, where' she had relatives. It' waa decided to pay 'tho fars Another'case was that of a man, whose lower limbs had been paralysed through a gun accident in Egypt. The Department was willing'to pay him three months' money, but -410 wished to go Home to his mother, his only other brother' having .been killed 111 France. The committee decided to. pay the amount of his fare (.£ls). x

A Dwindling Fund. • Mr. J. E. Palmer submitted a balancesheet of the Fund. The balance to credit on June 30 had been isifl 7s. lfld. Since their jClflO-had been donated to tho Ladies' Hospital, Guild, JM 4s. to the Wellington Pipe Band, and has been handed to Major. Dutton, leaving a credit of ~£266 Bs. lfld. ' Several accounts were passed for payment.' ' . . v ' Mr. Smith- asked if it would, not be wise to. consider the raising of further funds, instead of waiting until tho Fund was bankrupt. The chairman said that there would be no difficulty, in matyng an appeal, and lie was quite sure, there would bo a ready, response when it was made. The matter was left, at that.

In conclusion the Mayor said that the spirit of service at the present time was® not' confined to £ s. d.. or giving .in kind. So far they had made no payment for services rendered in connection with the Fund.' There was a fine spirit permeating everyone and it certainly extended to every member of the City Council and staff, whose loyal co-operation had been given quito freely from tlie heads to those who performed mechanical duties He felt that he, must pay that tribute to all who had so willingly assisted the organisation—to tlio secretary and treasurer, and everybody who had given an impetus to. the \i;ork of making the lot of thoso ili" camp a little happier than it otherwise might have been.. (Hear, hear)