Not Hoarders.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 2 May 1918, Page 3

Not Hoarders.

COUNTY PATRIOTIC FUND'S J FUNCTIONS. j "Wo arc up against the charge of being ian Association that is hoarding up money," said Mr P. W. Goldsmith at yesterday',s meeting of the County Patriotic Association in Levin. They had to combat that impression, he continued, for, unjuai though it was, it was widespread an. the district. People said they were not going -to give money if it was to be held, but would givo for the wants of the day—for use in the trenches and so on. Mr Goldsmith said the Association's function was to conserve its funds for the heavy demands that would' bet made on it in the future. They exfeted as an Association for the purpose of making a j ne ,st egg for the whole of the men of j this district who would need assisjtt- ; an co on their return. Mr Goldsmith ■ therefore favoured investing a further sum of £1000 in the Liberty oan. 'He considered the best answer that could be given to people who accused the Association of hoarding its money was to challenge thom to point to a case wbere the Association. Hiadl neglected its duty to returned men. Mr MdLeiin (Parapatraumu) said he had had the same assertion pu|t to him several times. It wtas said that the Association waa holding up money collected for the eoldierp. That morning he had been questfioned on the railway station on his wary to the meeting on this very point.

Mr G. Catley (Te Horo) didl not consider they should take much notice of critics at the street corners. If anyone wanted "bo criticise let them send along the complaints to the Association. The future would need a good deal more money than they would be able to find and the Association shouldl not be diverted from its policy by eudh charges. Mr F. Ponn (Otaki) agreed thap there was a feeling abroad such as Mr Goldsmith mentioned and the discission should serve to allay any suspicion in the public mind. He pointed out that there were several organisations —such as the Red Cross, Red lTriangle and Red Jersey movementsworking wi'-Ji great success for ittoe needs of the soldiers in the trenches and hospitals, and it was only right that the Association should conserve its funds for the rainy day that would' oome after the war. Mr Blenkhorn said they (had to face the facj'i—regrettable though it was that people would give less willingly after the war than they were doing now. It was going to be increasingly difficult to raise fumds for after-war relief, and the Association should therefore endeavour to build up as substantial a fund as possible for the sick andl wounded soldiers. Mr S. A. Broadbelt (liatara) fcaia tSre point was warmly debated in connection with the disposal of the Kopu-taroa-Ihakara Fair fund and m some quarters there was a disposition to give nothing to the County Fund, the argument being thaii) the Government shouldi provide for the future. He pointed out that there must be a limit to tihe money the Government could raise Eventually it was decided to divide the Fair proceeds between the Conn y Fund, the Y.M.C.A. and the Salvation Mr" G. N. Stephenson said the Association's only mistake was in not starting operations earlier. As fame on it would be more and more difficult to raire money to put by for '.-he future. He had heard a lot of talk about hoarding the fund up, but his advice was "Get as much money as soon as you can for tIW woundt-d diers. Their cause will be forgotten soon enough after the war." Mr Goldsmith pointed! out y putting some of the available funds into tho Government loan, the Asso tion would be helping in a very practical way and. that the money bo thus used at once to defray P& ® cost of the war, while it would also be available when required later for the needs of the [returned sokW. A motion was then carried authoring the investment of £1000 in the i - scribed stock of the current Liberty Loan.