PATRIOTIC EFFORT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 233, 20 June 1918, Page 6

PATRIOTIC EFFORT

WHAT THE SOCIETIES HAVE DONE. Ycstertlay the Minister of Internal Affairs (.the Hon. G. W. Russell) issued a brief leport showing the amount which had; baen collected by patriotic societies from the beginning of the war up till the end of the financial' year, and also a balance-sheet showing how the money has been disbursed or held. .The report is as follows:—From the outbreak of the war to March 31, 1918, the patriotic societies of New Zealand collected £2,789,207, which, with other receipts ,(,£1,017,014), gave a total income of .£3,800,221. Of this amount ,£2,110,455 has been expended, leaving a balance in hand at March 31, 1918, of .£1,695,706. The following statement gives details of the disbursements:—Receipts; Donations and collections, £2,789,207; carnivals, transfers, interest, etc., ,£1,017,014; total, .63,806,221;' Disbursements: Belief to soldiers, etc., £223,472; equipment, £101,467; comforts, £555,249; Red Cross, £489,568; *Belgian relief, £410,979; other Allies, £71,356; . Navy relief, £133,035; expenses, £125,329; funds in hand, £1,695,766;. total, £3,806,221. *J?lus Government contribution and subsidy of £228,145..

In addition to the foregoing figures the Internal Affairs Department has received . from other sources during the same period the sum of £60,753. At the outbreak of war a sum of £159,137 was donated by the general public towards ww expenses and special objects. The Dominion schools contributed to the Belgian Children's Fund £18,364, bringing the total amount of money collected up to £4,044,475, to which must be added £502,181, the value of contributions of goods, stock, produce, etc., of which the Department of Internal Affairs has been notified. The Government further provided a contribution of £228,145 by way of subsidy to Belgian relief, a grand total, in money and goods to the amount of £4,774,801.

Considerable sums of money and quantities of goods were contributed by private individuals and institutions and forwarded overseas direct for various relief objects, the value in money of which is not ascertainable, and accordingly is not embodied in the grand total above noted.