The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1915. THE PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2632, 1 December 1915, Page 4

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1915. THE PATRIOTIC FUNDS

The people of the Auckland Provincial District set themselves a big task_ when they decided to make a special effort to increase their Patriotic and War Relief Fund ' from £7o;000 to £250,000. Their great Carnival has now been brought to a close, and they have the satisfaction of knowing that the sum aimed at has been realised, and more than realised. In ten weeks tho i 'c;ry large sum of £269,000 has been raised, and the total amount collected in the Auckland Province for the fund has now reached £340,000. The effort was well planned and well organised, and the zeal and energy of the workers were altogether admirablo. Some of the methods adopted were, perhaps, open to criticism, and were, as a matter, of fact, freely criticised; but the untiring enthusiasm of the men, women, and children who did tho work—and hard work it must have been—is deserving of unqualified praise. They have secured the only reward they looked for—success. It is expected that the Carnival will probably result in over £260,000 being realised after all committee expenses have, been deducted. This is undoubtedly a fine achievement from the point of view of the organisers and workers, and it also speaks well for the generosity of the Auckland public. Each of the four chief centres of the Dominion has now held a war fund Carnival, the amounts raised being as follow:—

£ 'Auckland 2G9.000 ■ Dunedin 126,000 AYellington 63,653 Chrifitchurch 33,000 Other towns and districts have also resorted to this method of - raising funds, and altogether considerably over half a million of money has been secured in this way. Up till September tho total amount voluntarily subscribed by tho people of New Zealand in the form of war funds was £892,154. ' By this time the total has _ probably reached no less than a million pounds. This money should bo regarded as a solemn trust, and its proper administration is a matter of great public importance. It is essential that ; t should be handled in a thoroughly businesslike way. The public aro entitled to the fullest information in these matters. The organisers of the Wellington Carnival do not appear to have an adequate realisation of their responsibility to the people who - so generously responded to -their appeals. The public are still waiting for the official balance-sheet. The long delay that has taken place in producing it is quite inexcusable. . The administration of thj various patriotic funds constitutes a difficult problem, arid has been the subject of a good deal of discussion. Rightly or wrongly, the impression has got abroad that the Government is inclined- to make use of this money for the purpose of relieving to some extent the calls on tho Treasury. It is quite certain that any steps which Htay bo takan in KURonlan«> with Uy> inroyisitms of tfco Way Funds Act will

be very closely watched. The Minister of Internal Affairs found it necessary to assure the recent conference of representatives of the Patriotic Committees that the. Government hacl no intention of taking possession of the funds through tho National War Funds Council. The purpose of the Council was, he said, to secure ellicient and economical administration.

It had no power to take tho money compulsorily. There is a great- deal to ho said in favour of tho Government scheme. It would no doubt secure greater ellicicncy and make for equality and uniformity in-tho'pro-vision of relief. It would also tend to prevent overlapping. These arc important considerations. But hanging over these excellent provisions is the shadow of doubt caused by the suspicion that the funds in the hands of the War Funds Council may be used in part to relieve the State of some of its _ proper responsibilities. This may be unjustified, but still it is there, and it yet remains to find a means of clearing it away before the various organisations controlling the funds arc likely to come into line. The purpose of the patriotic funds is to provide assistance for disabled soldiers and the dependents of those who have been killed, over and above that to which they are legally entitled to receive from the State. The 'clea is to supply extra comforts, to remove inequalities, to remedy special hardships, and to take into consideration peculiar needs and circumstances which the more rigid Departmental methods cannot allow for. It was never intended that the Government should bj content to do anything less than its full duty and expect that its shortcomings should be made good by voluntary effort. But the Government's desire to secure uniformity of action in connection with the patriotic funds is a most laudable One, and it is satisfactory to know that the district committees arc endeavouring to devise a workable plan of ' cooperative administration. With this end in view tho recent conference agreed that the committees in tie various districts should, affiliate and keep in close touch with each other. This is a step in. the right direction, and it may reasonably be expected to lead up to a well-organised federation scheme.