NAVY LEAGUE RELIEF FUND

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2884, 23 September 1916, Page 7

NAVY LEAGUE RELIEF FUND

. * ' The following extract from a speech delivered in the Houso of Commons on. August 8, 1916, by tho Right able W. Hayes Fisher, Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board, has been forwarded for the information of the donors of tho fund for the relief of the dependants of naval oofeel's, seamen, andmariues, who have lost their lives in action during tho war: —In submitting this vote for naval and military pensions and grants, Mr. Hayes Fisher said:—"l was talking just now about conferences. Nobody is moro alive than I am to tho great necessity of constant consultation between tboso who administer charitable funds for similar objects. For instance, very naturally, a few weeks ago the great Battlo of Jutland bank, with all its glories and yet 1 nil its horrors, excited an iulnitc amount of pity and. compassion in overy British possession, and thousands and thousands of pounds wore cabled ovor for the benefit and tho immediate benefit of tho victims of that great engagement. We received a certain amount of money, and the Navy League received very much moro to bo devoted to the victims at the Jutland bank battle. Thore are 400 widows in Portsmouth alone. It always happens, if you" do not tako care, that in a matter of this kind samo people will get an enormous amount of money and other people will'get nothingat all. If a man goes down in a star action lu3 widow is suro to have wealth untold hcapdd upon her, but if a man just slips away one.dark night when crossing from one boat to another, his_death attracts no attention, and his widW very, likely gets nothing at all.' What wo want is this: Common sense • dictates that all those, responsible for tho administration ol those funds should endeavour to have some common action, and should uss tho same machinery for inquiry and for distribution. AVo approached the Navy League, and that admirabl3 - -managed body at once consented to have a little committee of three to meet a committee of three of tho Statutory Committee and to see that cur funds wero jointly ad : ministered for the good of those for whom those funds wore intended. AVo use tho same machinery, no have the Fame standard, wo make tho same inquiries through the same persons, and > wo strive to attain the same objects. I hope that this will be'done in the case of other funds." I