BELGIAN RELIEF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1396, 11 May 1915, Page 3

BELGIAN RELIEF.

DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL.

At last night's meeting of the Borough Council a circui ir letter was read irom Mr j, P. Luke, Mayor of Wellington, asking for the. Council’s co operation in connection with the Hon. James Allen’s scheme lor raising funds for the relief of the poor of Belgium. Briefly, the scheme, is to provide an amount each mouth throughout New Zealand, each district to provide by voluntary subscriptions an amount based on the population, the subscriptions to be subsidised by the Government up to a certain amount. The Mayor said he felt very strongly on the question of Belgian relief, and he earnestly hoped his feeling was shared by the Council as a whole. He didn’t think anyone fully rend 'M great part Belgium had placed in the European crisis, or to what extent the brave stand they had made' had helped to prevent an invasion of England. Had Belgium agreed to the Germans crossing their territory the inhabitants would not have suffered as they had, their women would not have been violated, their homes would not I have been destroyed, nor their j towns burned. This brave 1 rtlie I nation had faced all this in order j to keep faith with Britain. In | view of all this, surely it was not j much to ask that New Zealanders | should give what they could afford ; for the relief oi these people. Mr | Fraser said the people of Foxton I would be failing in their duty ir | they didn’t work heart and sottl | in this movement, and he earnestly 1 hoped that everyone in the j borough would do so. The j amount that Fuxt-.m would be called upon to provide under the sebemefwas only Z, 15 per month, and be was sure there would be no difficulty in raising this small sum monthly, as the proceeds of all special efforts would bo credited to the fund, and any surplus in any one month would be credited to j the following month’s quota. He ■ had .made provision in the motion he was about to move, however, I that should there he a deficiency j the amount should 're contributed | from the General Fund. He was j confident, however, that the | General Fund would not be called I upon, as the amount required each ' month would be more than | subscribe;! lay voluntary dona | lions and proceeds of special ; efforts. He sincerely hoped the i Council would puss the resolution. He then moved, that tin’s Council agree to co operate with Iho proposed central committee tor the Belgian Relief Fund, and Ural an j appeal be made to the public I through the Press, asking all men, j women and child ret; to give what j they can afford once a month so ■ l ong as tire war shall last ; that all | moneys be paid into the Town | Ctcrk’s ctfi:c and a bool: kepi j there to enter the names and j amounts given (if desired), and a i payment of the moneys so received j be paid to the Under-Scca-Uty of ; Internal Affairs on the fir-t ot j every month ; and it the suhscrip- j tious fall short of the amount \ required, the balance to be taken j from the General Fund. I Cr Henderson seconded the resolution. ■ Cr Whibley said that seeing the .Mayor was so sure the amormi required would be subscribed, he should delete the last paragraph ; nom the resolution. He was not in accord with the suggestion that any deficiency short'd be made up ,-,u: of lire (ffiienl Fund. The New Zealand boys were now in .iCtiun, and a largo number had already b.en wounded, aru*. it was out fust duty to provide for them. Cr Henderson said although he seconded the motion there was a good deal in what Cr Whibley said. Belgium was receiving assistance, and no doubt required a great deal more, but something should he done for "our own boys." However, he didn’t think she Council would be called upon iu pay anything, as the amount required each mouth would no doubt he fni!y subscribed. j Cr Thompson said that "until i the end of the war" might he a | very lung lime, and as we would have to provide for our own men, he would like to se>- a time limit Included in the motion, as it was possible that before the end of the war it might be necessary to devote ihe efforts to New Zealand relief. Cr Freeman said that it was a j very worthy object, but he | thought It would be better to j delete the last paragraph. j Cr Bryant suggested that the i period covered by the resolution should he restricted to twelve months. "The Belgians had saved us, and we can’t do too much for them.’’ liven if the borough had to provide gjs a month lor a year, surely they could afford it. Cr McColl thought the motion j should go through as worded at j present.' The money being sent j to Belgium was only keeping the i people there alive. New Zea- j land’s wounded on their return ; would be provided for by tbs j Government, but with the Belgians ; relief at present was a matter of i life and death. j Cr Stevenson said he would | support the motion as it stood. j Cr Simmons favoured a rime j limit, and said it should also be | made quite clear that the proceeds j from any special efforts should go j to this fund. i The Mayor, in reply, said it was | practically tu fix a riore | limit. No one knew how long | the war would last, and during j 'chat period they had to keep lire j in those poor people of | Belgium. Those who were not | fighting with the British aud French were homeless wauuciers, and it was almost impossible to fully realise the terrible position