THE PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2621, 17 November 1915, Page 8

THE PATRIOTIC FUNDS

AND THE CARE OF SOLDIERS

CONFERENCE CALLED

QUESTIONS OF POLICY

.On Friday morning at 11 o'clock a conference of members of the Government and representatives of patriotic committees throughout the Dominion is to bo held in the Joint Committee Room at the Parliamentary Buildings. It will be presided over by the Minister for Internal Affairs (the Hon. G. W. Russell), whose duty it is to administer the War Act. The other Ministers who will attend will be the Hons. J. Allen (Minister of Defence), A. L. Herdman (Minister in Charge of the Discharged Soldiers Department),and A. M. Myers (Minister in Charge of Pensions).

The Hon. Mr. Russell, referring to tho conference, yesterday stated: —"There will bo a' large representation of patriotic societies at the meeting, including delegates : from all over the country. Tho primary object of! the conference is t-o endeavour to secure a definition of tho respective responsibilities of the Government and the patriotic committees with. regard to sick and wounded and discharged soldiers. There has been a tendency on the part of some of tho leaders of tho patriotic movement to place on the Government practically tho entire responsibility of dealing with all matters relating to the soldiers. On the other hand, there are some of th? committees who'have displayed a generous desire to. assist in every way with tho funds placed at their disposal. The Government realise their full responsibility with regard to the men, and of course if there were 110 patriotic funds in existence the Government would do everything required. But as large sums havo been raised —probably up to throequarters of a- million —and as these funds havo been subscribed by the public directly for the benefit of sick and wounded soldiers, the Govorn.ment feel that it is desirable that some friendly discussion should take place to see exactly what the. feeling of patriotic committees is in regard to various details. During my visit to Dunedin I had an interesting and informative interview with the' executive of tho patriotic movement there, andl feel that good work can bo done in laying <Jown tho 'general lines upon which tho patriotic commitees may act.

"Olio of the things that will be discussed at the conference is as to the assistance which may bo given by tlio patriotic committees in the establishment, equipment, and maintenance of convalescent stations for soldiers, not only thoso still in tlie scrvice, but tliose who havo been discharged, in order that they may bo fully restored to health. Another matter which Mr. Herdman has entered. upon with great thoroughness is the provision of employment of discharged soldiers. He is certain io need money to enable him to discharge fully this important duty, and there'is any'amount of room for help from tlio committees in this direction. Both Mr. Herdman and myself are exceedingly anxious to avoid as far as possible trenching on the moneys raised for the prosecution of the war. We foe] that they should be devoted to the primary purpose for which they were obtained—the equipment, dispatch a-nd maintenance of the soldiers in the field —and therefore any assistanco that caii be obtained from the patriotic committees for the men on thoir return from the firing-line will be quite within thoir functions to bestow."