PATRIOTIC WORK

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2823, 14 July 1916, Page 3

PATRIOTIC WORK

ACTIVITIES OF THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE MORE MONEY NEEDED

■ A meeting of the Mayor's Patriotic Luumitteo was held y(;-ter<l;iv afternoon i" tho 'Mayor's room. There were lire- ' sont the Mayor, Mr. .1. P. Luke (in tho . chair), Hon. J. G. W. Aitken, Rev. W A. Avails, Messrs. C. M. Luke, Wm. Forguson, and J. R. Palmer (treasurer). Iho statement of finances showed a credit balance on May ,11 last of Jj]2o 19_s. 2d., since which date the sum of ■£583 10s. Id. had been subscribed, making a total of ,{!704 3s. 0(1. With tho extoption of .£169 Bs. 9d., that amount had . been expended. Of that credit ,£llO 15s. (d. had to bo handed back to the ladies who had raised that amount for the New Zealand Baso Hospital by means of a bazaar, which would leave a credit of j£s9. There were other small accounts to be paid, the whole of which would bo covered by «£lo.' The Mayor conveyed apologies for tho •abscnco of Messrs. Jas. Macintosh find D. Ewen, who were unable to be present. He said that he desired to place on record the work .done by the committee since its inception. In the first place it had been put to considerable expense in com naction with the recruiting movement, having to meet all the expenses in con, nection with the same, with the exception of the honorary services so gencr. ously given by Captain Barclay and those gentlemen who were assisting him daily at the recruiting office. Tho salary of the secreary (Mr. Martin, a returned soldier), who also did a good deal of work in connection with the recruiting cam. paign.' had also to be paid. The.y had also to meet the expense incurred by tho I receptions accorded to returned soldiers. In that regard they were greatly indebt* ed to the Mayoress and the Ladies' Com' niittee, who had assisted so materially to make the-receptions so successful. The whole of the cost of these receptions did, not dovolvo upon tho committee,' as the ladies had contributed f»nds in connection therewith; still considerable sums of money had been required to finance those functions. Another expense was their plant of supplying each of the transports with n consignment of fruit—lso to 200 cases of fruit, usually apples, being placed on board the transports on the eve of theit departure. This had run into a deal of money, as apples out of season were very dear. Help had also been given to 'stranded soldiers. The committee had also helped a Nelson man (Mr. M'Kay) to perfect an artificial arm which promised to be of the greatest service to those maimed by the. loss of an arm. Tho hospital ship chaplains had also been supplied with money, 60 that they would be m a position to .relieve the immediate necessities of patients. Steamer fares had been paid (in the case of two widows of reservists) to England, and the cost of various, entertainments for soldiers at the town Hall during Easter and at other times had had to be borne. The committee had been asked to supply instruments for the equipment of a brass band at lrentham, and also to contribute to tho cost ot furnishing instruments to other Reinforcement bands. The poster workin connection with the recruiting had also cost money, which the committen had to find, 'lie Mayor said he had only outlined the committee's activities to indicate that the work interest of the yhole community at tho back of it. They had a great amount ot important work to carry out- and faction' 11112 K ' V ° *' le » rea ' :es '- Ea tis.'

vr it- Artificial Arm. 4 er^? sou sai(l tha t lie underIfmi f^ a - ? J3elence department was undertaking to supply all maimed soldiers with-artificial arms. In reply tho llayoi read a letter from Surgeon-Gen. \f-ir , -lieudei-soLi;, commending Mr M Kay 6 appeal for help, and statin" thai ho considered- it the best arm fo! working purposes lie liad seen, and, ii pcriected, would be a good thing. 'J'ho Department could do nothing tor Mr fllJxay, as it would be setting-up a new' precedent, ibe. Mayor explained thai »lr. Mlvay was not a. returned soldier, but a civilian, who had lost his left arm years ago. lie dbukl get any amount' of money by allowing a company to exploit lis ideas as a patent, but did not wish to do that. He wanted his arm to bo available to any soldier. Mr - J- ?• -Palmer, who had seen the arm after it bad been perfected in i3uncuin, spoke of it in terms of the highest praise. Ihere were fittings that enabled it to use almost any tool in any position some positions in which the human hand could not be used. He thought it would be a wonderful aid to any'man unfortunate enough to lose an arm." The amount of .£25 advanced to Mr M'xay was approved.

Band Instruments. An application was received from tiin band authorities of the Fifteenth Kein. forcemeat, asking the committee to Jiqui. date a debt of .£6O on the band's instruments. ' . Tho chairman stated that he had communicated with the Mayors of the other cliief centres. Messrs. Gunson, of' Auckland, and Holland, of Chrislchurch, had promised .£ls each, and Mr. Clarke, Mayor of Dimedin, had said that "if he had got to pay lie would pay." A contribution of .£ls was authorised. In response to a request from Captain and Adjutant Bell, it was also decided to supply two side-drums, to be used in training work at Treutliam, and to 1,0 suitably inscribed .vith the name of tlie committee. The same were not to be removed from Trentham. This would involve a cost of about <Cl 5. Buttons for Cash. The Mayor reported that lie had received a ccmniunica'aon from 'lie (ism. monwealtli Button Fund, giving particu j lars of tlie moneys which had been raised iu Victoria by tho sale of celluloid buttons of various designs,- and quoting prices for the supply of the same at per 1000. The matter was left in the hands of the Mayor to deal with.