Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, JUNE 19th, 1917. PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 June 1917, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, JUNE 19th, 1917. PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

Once again the general admimstriition of the Patriotic funds is cropping up for consideration. It was in luio when a praise-worthy effort was made by some of the leading societies to pool tbo funds and administer them on an uniform basis. Theso overtures met with an undeserved rebuff from certain quarters. There was tho old bogie of centralisation raised and there was the keen desire to handle their own funds in their own way. So, for the lack of utility, a sensible national scheme was put aside, and tho various societies in their own provincial way, went on their own. Tho natural result is now coming to light, and the omission to do itit© right thing proposed a couple of years ago is being made manifest. In tbo times past when the patrotic fever was at great heat funds rolled in easily. In the larger centres hundreds of thousands of pounds were at command and this easily.. got money was intlio hands of tho local committees which took up the distribution in many instances in a very Liberal spirit. For instance, in some centres all returned moil whether requring funds or not, and most men had a fair moiety of back pay to draw on return were given a quantity on arrival. In other instances liberal graJnlfcs fpr icivilian clothing, transport etc. were given while in other cases the leading societies began to vie with Well other in their scale of grants to dependents, fin this 1 aider connection one society openly quoted its scale as tho most liberal in the Dominiin, and this high level had to become the standard lor other societies which found tho extolled scale quoted against them. But this excess, and even extravagance, could mot go on .indefinitely, with tho result that some of the societies which held at the outset the most funds, are now finding their store seriously depleting, and not only is there not any sign of the war ending, neither is there a. tithe of the men returned. Above all, the heavy drain on these funds will come in readily wh#n the .Second Division are serving, and the number of dependents will increase rapidly when thousands of families in New Zealand will he entitled to look to the patriotic funds for assistance. In connection with the scopo Slid object of theso patriotic funds, /the Timaru hand-book for soldiers and dependents puts tho matter very cogently where it says:—“lt is desirable to make it specially clear that the patriotic funds have been provided b.v grateful subscribers in recognifon of services rendered, and no soldier or his dependents has any need to reel that ho or she comes under any charitable obligation by accepting help from tho patriotic funds within the reasonable limits adopted by tne governing committee.” While this is so. the Timaru committee makes this addition: “It is necessary to make it clear that tho funds are for ffhel pmtpose of meeting necessities, | and are not available for assisting persons who are able to meet the expense of their own reasonable needs, and the 00-operntion of returned soldiers is desired in all matters which affect their welfare, and *ne useful administration of the funds.” These two quotations put. the case admirably and indicate exactly how these funds should be used. They are in the nature if a generosity fund, aaid in /the same spirit of gratitude should bo generously, hut not extravagantly. admiini'qtered. Aa time goes on, tne wisdom of placing C» local fund under the National War

Now that the generous contributions have ceased practically the Westland funds would be a poor amount in itself t° bear tbe strain which must ue put upon it as time goes on, and the additional demands which must come as we have indicated above. The fund is fortified and guaranteed as it were by its association with the national funds and it is remarkable that only one other fund fn the Dominion enjoys security. "It has been a very sound arrangement transfdf the funds as was done hero, and the fruits will be enjoyed by the soldiers and

thdir dependents for an indefinite under the national system. Both the lAdvisory Board of New Zealand Patriotic Societies, and the Auckland Patriotic Fund are now talking o£_ uniformity. This oan only lead to nationalisation, but that haven will ho reached with much depleted funds as against tho credit balances of two years ago. The duration of the war has upset many calculations, nnd it . n likely that seeing the funds a diminishing quantity many of those who were content to ndvise and direct will not be so ready to lend their help under more straightened circumstances.

This is what things are trending to and in the interests of all the Government would be acting fairly to posterity by appropriating for national relief. purposes the balances remaining before it is too late.