THE PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2790, 7 June 1916, Page 7

THE PATRIOTIC FUNDS

NEW ZEALAND'S EFFORT.

A statement in regard to the amounts contributed ior patriotic purposes by the people of the Dominion was made to the douse yesterday by tho Minister of Internal Affairs, tho Hon. G. W. Russell. Tho funds collected by societies up to December 31 last, said tho Minister,' including tho relief of-Allies, provision for sick and wounded soldiers and dependants of soldiers, equipment and comforts, lied Cross work, and general patriotic purposes, was <£1,492,954. In addition 'to this, the Department of Internal Affairs had received for transmission abroad, hospital ship. Now Zealand sick and wounded soldiers and other special purposes (over and above the amounts forwarded by patriotic societies), .£43,590. A further sum of' .£159,137 was donated at the outbreak of the war to the New Zealand Government towards war expenses and special objects, thus making a total ! of £1,095,682 collected in cash. There were also considerable sums always in hand or in transit per medium of newspaper funds, unclosed individual collector's, lists, and balances in the hands of societies which had not sent in returns. If tho total of these amounts was taken as between .£50,000 and ,£60,1)00,. which was a conservative estimate, .the, total' cash contributions for the Dominion, up to the' end of 1915 will havo amounted to one and three-quarter millions. The value of contributions of goods, sto.ck, produce, etc., of which the Department of Internal Affairs had been advised, amounted at 31 to .£108,946. Further . contributions of this nature had also been made through farmers' organisations and other bodies as well as by private donors. Since tho date to which the foregoing figures had been mado up there had been many special appeals by way of carnivals, art: unions, and other functions, to which the people had responded with undiminished liberality. The regular collection of funds was still bcinj* maintained by tho various societies, and it might be safely estimated that the patriotic contributions of the people of New Zealand had now reached, it they had not exceeded, •K2,000,000.

The funds remaining in hand at December 31 amounted, in round figures, ta_ .£981,000, to which should bo added, say, i£50,000 or .£60,000 in 'transit, giving a totat of. over ono million pounds available 'for relief and general purposes at that date. -If to this amount was added the amount contributed since December 31, it might fairly be. assumed that the unexpended funds at present date was approximately ono and a quarter millions. ■