THE KAIPARA AND WAITEMATA ECHO With which is incorporated "The Kaipara Advertiser & Waitemata Chronicle." Helensville, Thursday, April 15, 1915. THE LINDAUER COLLECTION

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 15 April 1915, Page 2

THE KAIPARA AND WAITEMATA ECHO With which is incorporated "The Kaipara Advertiser & Waitemata Chronicle." Helensville, Thursday, April 15, 1915. THE LINDAUER COLLECTION

A GREAT how-do-you-do is being made in Auckland to raise the necessary £10,000 for the purpose of Belgian relief, and the securing for the city the Lindauer collection of Maori paintings, as stipulated by the generous donor, Mr Partridge. No doubt the amount will be raised in time, but one would have thought Auckland good enough to find the money in a very short space of time and without appealing to every local body.

At the last meeting of the Helensville Town Board a circular was read from the. actingConsul for Belgium, Mr Robert Burns,, which suggested that the Board should give a substantial donation; but being in rather low funds and not inclined to borrow in order to give, none of the Helensville Town Board Commissioners went further than suggesting that Com. Becroft should institute a special ciusade amongst the residents, and a house-to-house canvass by the young ladies of the town will probably be the result. But whatever method is adopted, the ECHO wishes it success. The main point is to let none escape. It has been asserted that a number in the community who could well spare a few pounds, have tacitally avoided subscribing in any manner or form toward the most laudable Belgian Relief Fund.

As was suggested by the Waitemata County Council last week, so as to get at everyone in the County, a special vote of £100 should be given to the Fund and this was carried. But to get at all the people in the Ceunty, was it enough ? We doubt it. In moving that the Council should contribute £100 to the fund, Mr J. O'Neill said that there were many people in the County who had as yet given nothing, either to the Patriotic Fund or to the Belgian Relief Fund. If a certain sum was granted from the whole County, these men will have to pay. Mr A. Lang said that in his riding very wealthy people had given nothing, and he would like to "get at" th-i-m all. Mr Jas. McLeod su;.po:-fcjd the proposal, and consider?,d that many people had failed cj realise their responsibilities in connection with this war. Mr V. ICeriTaylor thought that the Council should not make a grant to the Fund, but that subscription lists should be circulated throughout the County, and Mr Laing replied that at one time he was opposed to a war tax, but now he felt that the country would be doing the right thing if it struck a rate for the relief of distress. " Our sons have gone to the war," he exclaimed, " to defend the property of all. Yet people whose

property is worth defending have refrained from supporting the patriotic funds."