PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2042, 16 October 1919, Page 2

PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

IS THERE HOARDING? PROTEST RAISED IN HOUSE BY MR. RUSSELL. ‘‘Does Iho Alinisler for Internal Affairs propose to firing down legis- • lalion during the present session dealing with (he present ' position and (he future disposal of patriotic'' funds ?” nsked the Hon. G. W. Russell in (he House of Representatives yesterday. A paper laid on the (able, he staled, showed that there was no Jess than £1,871,000 in hand belonging lo (he various patriotic societies. Some enormous Sums were held by particular societies, and if members examined the am- , mini spent by these societies.in relief and comforts they would realise that the expenditure of these funds ought, to he accelerated. One society hold £llll,OOO on March 3J.st, but bad spent throughout the war only £80,479 in relief, and £15,988 on comforts. Another society, which-held £IIB,OOO, had spent only * £9,041 in relief and £3,057 in comforts; and a number of other eases might he quoted. He sincerely hoped that (he Government would do its duty by seeing that these sums would'not be hoarded. Air Russell asked the Government also to consider particularly the relation of the Red Cross funds to the soldiers. There was n very large aggregation of Red Cross funds in New Zealand, and he wanted to ask whether the Government would consider-* Ike desirability of settling by law the exact relations of the Red Cross funds.to the soldiers for whom the moneys were raised; also of selling up some organisation upon which the returned soldiers themselves would have partial control, ill any cate in connection with the patriotic societies which organised the funds. The Hon. J. B. Hine (Minister for Internal Affairs) said that the matter would receive consideration. The Government realised as well as the quetsioner that the money was collected for lire honeHt of the soldiers, and although the time for its expenditure was largely passed, he would look into it. Air J. A. Nash (Palmerston N.) : What about (lie sick and wounded ? Mr Hine added I bat the soldiers were not the only ones to be considered. The great body of the people who subscribed the funds had also to be considered; and the Government would give very serious consideration to the allocation of these moneys.