PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2525, 28 July 1915, Page 8

PATRIOTIC FUNDS

PROVINCIAL SCHEME ADOPTED WAIRARAPA OBJECTS. A conference of Mayors of boroughs, county chairmen, and officials of Patriotic Funds throughout the Wellington Military District,' for tho purpose of setting up a provincial fund for the administration of funds for the relief of wounded soldiers, sailors, and l their dependents, was held in the Mayor's room yesterday afternoon. His Worship tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) presided, and there were present the following delegates:—Wairarapa: Sir Walter , Buchanan, and Messrs J. M. Coradine, A ,D. M'Leod, B. Morrison, A. 0. Considine, W. Perry. Wanganui: Mr Hope Gibbons. Now Plymouth: Mr. J. E. Wilson. Taihape: Mr.- R. W. Smith. Feilding: Mr. Ongley. Hastings: Mr. Pharazyn. Dannevirke: Mr. E. D. Ranson. Palmerston North: Messrs. "J. A. Nash, J.'Strang, and J. M. Johnston. Hawera: Mr. E. Dixon. Waitara: Mr. E. Beckbessinger. Foxton: Mr. A. Fraser. Stratford: Mr. J. B. Richards. Inglewood: Mr. G. Young. Taranaki Farmers' Union: Mr. R. Dunn. Gisborne: Hon. W. Morgan. Woodville: Mr. J. Harding.' Onslow: Mr. C. C.; Crump. Karori: Mr. 6. H. B. Burn! 'Wellington Patriotic Society: Messrs. H. G. Hill, L. 0. H. Tripp, and J. M'lntosh. Eketahuna: Mr. T. Moss. Pat-ea: Mr. G. Horner.

- The' chairman' briefly welcomed the delegates and expressed the hope that they would be able to arrive at a satisfactory solution of the difficulty of ad-: ministering the funds for wounded soldiers in the best possible manner. Mr. Skerrett then submitted his. scheme, and .at the same time , pointed out to delegates that if the bodies in the Wellington 'Military District could not organise themselves, how could they hope for a national scheme? Some of the districts it was known had collected large sums, but he would point out that whilst they would have a measure of local control, they could only exercise sucli control as far as it was- compatible with the whole of the organisation.

Ono delegate asked if a district known to be a rich 0110 which liad not contributed substantially would have a claim on the funds: , Mr. Skerrett'. Certainly. Th'c soldier or sailor who belongs to sucli a district who is in distress. must he relieved. (Hear, hear.) The Hon. W. Morgan, the Gisborne delegate, asked if tliey came to a. conclusive agreement would, the fund become operative before it was submitted to'the various branches.

'The chairman said that lie took it that .each delegate represented the united wisdom of his district, and they could , not do better than what the conwould go back an, dte'l them that they ference had decided to do.

Sir Walter Buchanan pointed out that tho question as to whether a district should cut'the Gordian knot as to tlio control of their control was a crucial one. Mr.. Morgan said- that he was- not empowered to vote as he had only been instructed to note what was being done and report-to the .local committee. Where Wairarapa Halted. Mr. Coradive, Mayor of Masterto'n, stated that th<? Wairarapa Distriot Fund Committee had gone into the matter very carefully, and they felt it 'would bo premature to do anything outside what they wero doing until all_ tho othor districts came in. Tho basis of the scheme propounded by Wairarapa, which had been placed before tho conference, was the scheme under which t'hey had been working so successfully. Ho maintained that they could not talk of pooling while othor unorganised districts were to be classed as poor districts, when they were known to' bo otherwise. Wairarapa was against pooling at present.

Mr. H. G.'Hill (Wellington Patriotic Society) pointed out that the rules provided for admittance or non-admittance of districts. He quoted from Rule 4, viz., "No society shall be admitted as a' branch of- the association except by a resolution of the annual, conference or the Executive Committee."

Mr. Ongley,;.Mayor of-Feilding, said their experience had been that some persons come in on tlie backs of tlie others. He did not believe they bad p;ot money from' two-thirds of the wealthy peoplo of the district. They could get the money, but .they wore getting it from tlie same peoplo all the time. Wairarapa had done well, and so had' Wellington. If they had a carnival at Feilding they could not get at the people they wished to as they would ■not go near a carnival. Sir Walter. Buchanan's Views. Sir Walter Buc'hauan said that it was out of. the question to take the clauses submitted by Mr: Skerrett one. by one. The' levy under Mr. Skerrctt's scheme would only, fall on districts which had already contributed heavily. Under his scheme the assumption was that compulsion must be applied before somo districts could come into the association. The real difference between the scheme of Mr. Skerrett . and that put forward by Wairarapa was central against provincial control. They were not all without experience on local bodies, and the position of ratepayers stood in the same light as contributors. In a. central control there would be waste and worse arid a want of discrimination, whereas if left to local committees they would take a pride in their work wore it left untrammelled, but if its hands were tied it.would take tho heart out of them at once.' He did not .suggest' that the .scheme proposed by Wairarapa. was a perfect one, but whilst giving Mr. Skerrett and all those associated with him credit for. (.heir public spirit, thoy in the Wairarapa Imd not been unmindful of their duties. Ho said that, if they could not agree upon 'cardinal points they were wasting time.

Jlr. Coiisiiliuu (i?V>atherston) said that Wairanipa not yet made'any sacrifice at nil, but Uiore wore other districts as wealthy as the Wairarapa ivho wouldtake their nionuy. They wero quite willing to share- Llieir inonoy with the poorer districts, but they objected to the "shall'' as applied to such rich districts as Hawko's Bay and West Coast (say from Levin to Taranaki), which was the richest .country in tho world. They were willing to help poor districts, but Jiot rich ones. "Building on Sand." Mr. Skerrctt said that ho was sorry to see that Wairarapa had como down in a parochial . spirit. Unless delegates were prepared- to meet the conference in some measure any result from tho meeting would lie impossible. In dealing with the objections of tlio Wairarapa delegates, Mr. Skerrctt said that lie felt it in liis bones that such objections were calculated to wreck any scheme, and oven to produco a scandal with the funds. Whilst lie was a. believer in local administration, lie said that if districts were to be takon in or rojccted on a basis of tho money contributed to the funds tliey were buildin" on sand. Ho hated the word compulsion, but was it compulsion to obey the laws of tho land which tlicy made themselves? Tho control that would be vested in the oxeoutivo would -be no more than was necessary.

A delegate: "What if we wanted to set a man up in a small business?" Mr. Skerrett said that they would liavo to apply to the Executive Committee.

Continuing, Mr. Skerrett said that first of all he had to convert Wairarapa—(laughter)—and Tic meant to do it. (Applause.) He knew they were as rmblic-spiriWi as any in tho world

and they had tlieir hearts in the right place. When they had time to think it out they would conic'round to agreeing to the general features, of the scheme. He quoted a district X in which the rich people had not done their duty. That district may have a large number of applications from injured men—what was to becomo of tliem? Suppose, as Mr. Ongley had said, you couldn't mako those pcoplo pay up, you could not neglect thoso who have become injured or tho dependents of thoso killed. They could not do it. If they wero not going to make a start then, when were they going to make a. start? Sir Walter Buchanan, said the start was to get in the money and that, tlipy had done in tho Wairarapa. In the Little Hamlets. Mr. Dixon (Hawera) said that because Wairarapa had started early and got ahead it was not the only place that was working. There were little hamlets in his district all round the mountain (Egmont) which'were working quite as hard as tho Wairarapa, and were only waiting for a lead from the conference before they went ahead. As soon as they had a basis they would start to raise every penny they could. Ho pointed out that his district included tho counties of Oliuru and Waimarino, some of the poorest districts in New Zealand, and though they have not much- money, no districts had sent more men to the front. . An Association Set Up. Oil tTie motion of the Mayor it was then decided to consider Mr. Skerrett's scheme clause by clause, and this scheme, with one or two amendments, was adopted. It provides for the set: ting up of a Wellington Military District War Relief Funds Association to control and regulate tho administration of the War Relief Funds vested in and held by the branches of the association according- as far as possible to some uniform scheme of administration to be from time to time determined -by the Executive Committee of the., Association for the relief and of NewZealand soldiers and sailors and their dependents, and as far as possible to -spread the relief to be afforded by the fund equitably and uniformly over the whole district without reference to locality or to tho amount of money raised for tho purposes of the fund in. each locality so that no soldier or sailor or his dependents shall bo without relief. This and the next purpose shall' bo deemed the fundamental objects of the association.'

The association is also 'to -grant sums in lieu of weekly payments, and levy 011 branches for districts for tho benefit of others-Whose funds are insufficient to meet the demands.

This sub-clause was contested by Wairarapa 011 tlio grounds stated in the abovo discussion, and on a show of hands was carried by 23 to 6. Other objects of the association aro to continue to raise funds and to promote the creation of- a National Fuud. It provides for the constitution of branches, representation on the executive on an area basis (iu lieu of a-mone-tary contribution basis), deals in detail with the election of president, sets out the powers of the executive, the making of levies, the duties of branches, and provides for the appointment of trustees and tlio investment of funds.

Each clause (there are 29, with numerous sub-clauses) was read and considered, and save for a trifling alteration here and there, was passed. At the conclusion, Mr. Skerrett said that tho delegates would row have to report to their various bodies, and he would have to negotiate with his Wairarapa friends bel'oro they met again. This intimation in effect means that yesterday's conclusions have yet to be confirmed. Tho . Wairarapa delegates declined to "come in" to the scheme.

When questioned, the chairman stated that the result of this conference' would be submitted! to tho National Conferenco to-day. ' Authority was given to have the minutes printed.

The Mayor, Messrs. H. G. Hill, L. 0. H. Tripp, S. Kirkcaldie, and Jas. M'ln-t-osh .were appointed an advisory committeo to assist Mr. 'Skerrett in his workOn the motion of the Mayor, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded, to Mr. Skerrett for the energy, capacity, and sacrifice of time displayed 011 his part in connection with the drafting of tho scheme. National Fundi conference. The National Fund 'Conference, which will be attended by delegates from all parts of the Dominion, will commence its sittings' at 10 a.lll. to-day, in the City Council Chamber.