PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 209, 29 May 1919, Page 4

PATRIOTIC FUNDS

STATEMENT, BY THE MINISTER. The Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. G. W. Russell, stated yesterday that his attention- had been drawn to a report of the Returned Soldiers' Association meeting at Christchurch, in which the chairman said that there was no question that tho Government, or rather tho Minister of Internal Affairs, would attempt to collar those funds for his own pet schemes. For instance, it was suggested that they might be used for sanatoria, for consumptive soldiers. That idea was' preposterous, Mr. Russell 6aid. He had therefore telegraphed to the piesideiit of the conlerence as follows:— (IV I emphatically deny that the Government has any desire to collar or otherwise interfere-with patriotic funds. Its only responsibility is to seo that they are expended under tho War ITunds Act for the purposes for which they were raised. ■ (2) No suggestion lias been made by me that "patriotic funds might bo used for sanatoria for consumptive soldiers. I shall therefore feel obliged if you will inform me , your authority for the above statement, or in the alternative withdraw it. , THE LEGAL DIFFICULTIES. Br TeleEraph—Press Association. Christchurch, May 28. . Tho following telegram from the Hon.G. W. Russell was read to-day by, Mr. Elliott, one of the Auckland delegates to the Returned Soldiers' Conference:— "I have given very careful consideration to the question of tho transfer of moneys from the Women's Patriotio League to the Eoturued Soldiers' Club Fund, but the legal 1 difficulties'in the way. aro insurmountable. Tho eole objects of the Women's Patriotic League when established we're to provide comforts for soldiers, hospital supplies, the caro oi soldiers' dependants (clothing, etc.). On' September 18,1916, the fund was approved under the War Funds Act. In May, 1918; the title "was altered to the Auckland W.P. League, but at no time have thtj approved objects of the leaguo been extended. The special appeal made in 1918 for funds was not accompanied by a request for the widening of-the object of the league, tho test of such appeal being to provide for ouv soldier lads, in camp or transport, at the front or in hospital, and for giving assistance to thair dependants. The opinion of Sir John Salruond on tho Christchurch Lady Liverpool application placed it beyond doubt that the money, now in hand cannot legally be diverted to the erection of soldiers' clubs, as being outside and beyond the object for which the moneys were raised. The poaition is that there is "a &um of approximately JMOO.OOO hold by othct societies in Now Zealand in tho same category as the money held by the Auckland Women's Patriotic League, and already applications.have been received for a diversion of a portion of this to objects other than' that for which tho money was raisod, and which I havo bud to (lodine, so that even if the legal difficulties in the way of meeting your request could have been overcome, the responsibility \s-6uch that I could not agree to theso funds being diverted without the approval of Parliament. Therefore, while I ,im personally desirous of. assisting returned eoldicre in the laudable object of providing hostel accommodation, I am unable (acting on the advice of tho Solicitor-General whom I have seen again this morning) to legally assist them."