V.M.C.A. ADMINISTRATION

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 38, 14 August 1919, Page 8

V.M.C.A. ADMINISTRATION

ALLEGATIONS BY RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION

CRITICISM AND THE ANSWER.

*'," The Returned Soldiers' Association recently set up a committee to inquire ■I: into and report on certain matters in ', 'connection with the administration of ;the V.M.C.A. war funds. That report ; was forwarded to Sir James Allen (Minister of Defence), and a copy was sent ;to The Post. Publication was withheld 'to give the V.M.C.A. authorities an opportunity of replying. -' The Returned Soldiers' Committee's retport is as follows:— V (1) The primary basis of appeal matte -by the V.M.C.A. was for comforts for :men in the trenches, and this feature ;yvas emphasised. particularly in connection with the Red Triangle Da#. of ;March, 1918. From this collection it is understood that something in the neigh'>bourhood of £150,000 was realised, but ; from inquiries it appeal's that no statement is available from the V.M.C.A. ■-; (2) So far as can be deduced from the , submitted by the V.M.C.A. a total "amount of something in the Neighbourhood of £400,000 has been .'collected. Of this amount the total sum which reached the men overseas in the form of trench comforts as shown by ",the V.M.C.A. statement, page 9, amounted to £31,290, which represents less ?than 8 per cent, of the total amount ';■] (3) From page 8 of the Y.M.C.A.'s statement, item marked "B," it appears that the amount received in England from May, 1916, to November, 1918, was £163,800, of which the above amount of £31,290 represents less than 4s in the £1. Furthermore, the New Zealand statement covors the period Ist October, 1916, to 30th September, 1918. Tne corresponding English statement covers the period from the Ist May, 1916, to the s,oth November, 1918. From this it is clear, that no consideration of the two statements is possible. .(4) Egypt. From page s'item marked "C" of the V.M.C.A. statement it appears that the sum of £18,158 was ref hutted in the two years ending 30th September; 1918, to Egypt. No statement lias been submitted of the fate of this sum, and the deduction is that it was pooled in a. general fund with the ' American and British Y.M.C.A.'s. ;j(sJ;3?rom page_s item marked "D" it appears'that in" New Zealand in the course of two years the sum of £3491 was sp'eiit-in" salaries and administration ex^ penses, etc. From the item marked "E," page 5, a further amount of administrative charges amounting to £9910 must be added. -■ From the "item marked "F" on page 9, and from the item marked "G" also on page 9, two further amounts of £8416 and £2119 respectively "must also be added, making a total distributed for salaries ' and administrative expenses, etc., during this period of £23,936.) From item marked "H" on page 5, it appears that in New Zealand for two years the administrative expenses were £6456, and jii item marked "J" on page 6 in England for the same period they were £1713. To this must further be added the working expenses at huts shown as ' £4599 -(item "J"), and item "X" page 9 headquarters £1300, approximately a total hi £14,068. This, with the previous item of £23,936, makes a total of £38,004, and it is noted that this sum ■was spent in administrative expenses, salari.es, etc., in distributing in comforts • to the trenches an amount of £31,290. ;.' (6) ;It .appears, further, from this statement that during the war period /there is no return of revenue from the Wellington Soldiers' Hostel or from the ■Shakespeare Hut in England. Both these institutions have been run on capital contributed by the New Zealand' public/ ' (7) No statement has been furnished i in reference to the expenses of the Wellington Tea Room, Lambton-quay. ••■- (8) From item marked "L," page 3, and shown also on page 5, it, appears that buildings, furniture, and equipment represent the sum of £17,678, which figures in the expenses but does not appear in the statement of assets and liabilities. While a very large proportion of this amount will not be recoverable, it is quite obvious that it should have at least been'included as a minimum asset in the balance-sheet. ;. (9) From article "E," on page 7, the sum of £57,650 on buildings, tents, and equipment 13 similarly treated. This, with the previous item, makes a total of £75,328, and it is remarkable that in a statement of the British V.M.C.A. a parallel amount, of some £70,000 has similarly disappeared. (10) Coupons.—The statement submitted Item "N," page 6, shows the sum of £27,106 as received for coupons. At the same date £15 lis had been redeemed with coupons in New Zealand, and there is no trace of redemption in England of this balance. . ,' (11) The sums collected were for free idistribution to soldiers, and were never intended for trading. ,' (12) It is noteworthy that the V.M.C.A. still pays out of its war funds the salary and expenses of officers to meet returning drafts., ; (13) Among other places, huts have' been established by the V.M.C.A. at Botorua, Waipiikurau, Invercargill, H»nmer, and Somes leland. It is further proposed to establish a hut at the hospital m Christchurch. All these huts are staffed. and maintained on amounts collected for the Trench Comforts Fund.