PAID NO SALARY

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 42, 13 November 1940, Page 10

PAID NO SALARY

Organizer Of All Purposes Patriotic Appeal

The secretary of tlte National Patriotic Fund Board, Mr. G. A. Hayden, stated yesterday that several examples of what he described as "fifth column” work in regard to New Zealand’s patriotic effort had come under bis notice. Latest of these was a statement that. Mr. J. Abel. Wellington, was iwing paid £l5OO a year for organizing the Dominion-wide all-purposes £1,000,000 patriotic appeal. This was quite contrary to fact. The National Patriotic Fund Board had accepted an offer by Mr. Abel to undertake rhe work gratuitously. Mr. Abel, continued Mr. Hayden, was not receiving a penny piece for his services, either fro.m (lie board or the 11 provincial patriotic councils. He wag doing the job at considerable personal sacrifice, giving daily the greater part, of his time to the organizing work, and he was also using his own paid staff to assist him in various ways. “I think it only fair.” Mr. Hayden concluded, "when an attack of this kind is made ou a man who is doing wonderful work in the interests of the men of our forces, that the facts should be made clear to the public, though I regret that circumstances should have arisen to make this necessary.”