PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 254, 24 September 1940, Page 4

PATRIOTIC FUNDS

STATEMENT BY MAYOR

MANY POINTS EXPLAINED.

Thirteen questions relative to the collection and use of funds contributed for patriotic purposes were the subject of a statement made by the Mayor (Mr A. E. Mansford) at a meeting of the City Council last evening. The questions were put by Cr. W. 13. Tennent, and it was emphasised that the statement was made at the juncture only as one of public interest and not as City Council business. Cr. Teunent said that he had been asked by many people what happened to the money subscribed to various patriotic organisations. While he tyas certainly not imputing that everything was not above board, and while • the matter was not one for the City Council, he thought it would be in the public interest if the Mayor would answer a series of questions which had been prepared as to matters on which there was ignorance and doubt in the minds of many persons. The questions and the Mayor’s replies were as follow : Cr. I’ennent: Could you state what arc the various departments set up in Wellington for the" reception and disposal of funds in Wellington and thenfunctions S'

The Mayor: Profiting by experience gained during the last war, when a good deal of overlapping ot effort and waste resulted from the establishment of 600 separate patriotic funds, the Government decided on the outbreak of the present war to limit the number of patriotic iunds to 12 (one national and 11 provincial), and to provide the structure ol a Dominion organisation that would enable elected representatives of public bodies to operate this organisation under a uniform policy- and to have full control over the collection and expenditure of all moneys collected for patriotic puiposes. The Patriotic Purposes Emergency Regulations, 1939, set up the following fully co-ordinated organisations: (1) The National Patriotic Council; (2) the National Patriotic fund Board; (3) eleven Provincial Patriotic Councils. (6) The functions of these bodies are, briefly, as follow : The National Patriotic Council is an advisory body which advises the Minister of Internal Affairs, the National Patriotic Fund Board, and the 11 Provincial Patriotic Councils in regard to all patriotic matters. The National Patriotic Fund Board is responsible for: (a) The erection, maintenance and equipment of recreational huts, other than service huts which are erected by the Government; and for fhe extra furnishing only of the service huts and messes. (b> The supply of comforts to visiting escort vessels, (c) The supply ot comforts to troops on transports and overseas. (U) The care of the sick and wounded, and prisoners of war. (e) The organisation, through provincial councils, of such special,, appeals as may be required to assist tlie relief of civil distress, and injury arising out of war action. (1) The provision of regimental funds lor troops overseas, (g) Holding, as a reservoir to assist provincial funds, the balance of money in hand at the end of the war, including surplus trust funds raised during the present war, not required for original purposes, (h) The provision, in conjunction with the Air Force Regulations, of comforts and amenities for members of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, (i) The provision, in conjunction with Provincial Councils and the Navy League, of comforts and amenities for the New Zealand Naval Forces. (j) Emergency requirements not otherwise specified. The board carries out this work in conjunction with existing national welfare organisations which have been appointed the board’s main expending agents. These organisations are: The Y.M.C.A., the Church of England Military Affairs Committee, the St. Yincent tie Paul Society, and the Salvation Army, all operating lor the fighting services, and the joint council of the Order of St. John and the New Zealand Red Cross Society, for the care of sick and wounded; the Air Force Relations (Air Force), and the Navy League (navy and deepsca merchantmen). WORK. OF COUNCILS.

“The. Provincial Patriotic Councils,” the Mayor added in reply, “arc responsible lor : —(a) Entertainments (such as concerts) in camps and stations, and the erection or supply of canteens, social rooms, etc., adjacent to camps or stations, or at convenient places of assembly as approved by Provincial Patriotic Councils, (b) The supply (in conjunction with the Physical Welfare Committees of their provinces) of sports gear and the rangement of sporting activities within all camps and stations, (c) The provision for members of the fighting forces of knitted and other articles such as gloves, mittens, socks, liussifs, pay-book covers, whether financed from their own funds, the National Fund or the War Expenses Account as from time to time may be determined, (d) The supply of standard unaddresscd gift parcels, as may be determined from time to time by the National Patriotic Council, (e) The supplementing of regimental funds for use in New Zealand, in cases where Provincial Patriotic Councils consider conditions warrant the granting of such financial assistance, (f) The supply of comforts to naval ratings on merchant ships, and where wool supplies are available, the supply of comforts for men on trawlers and minesweepers, operating from the coast of the United Kingdom. (g) The relief, assistance and temporary support of dependants of members and ex-members of the fighting forces and the necessitous exmembers of the forces themselves. “In explanation of clause (g),-spe-cial committees known as Rehabilitation Committees, comprising members of the Patriotic Committees and nominated members of the local Returned Soldiers’ Association, have .been or are being formed in all districts throughout the Dominion. These committees are responsible for the care of every returned man in their distriet, and are provided by the Provincial Patriotic Councils with funds for this purpose. It will thus be seen that the care of the men returning is in the hands of the local people. “The personnel of the patriotic fund organisations comprises representatives of public bodies, recognised representative institutions and societies, and prominent local citizens. Each Provincial Patriotic Council is an autonomous body controlling its own affairs and funds in harmony with a uniform policy adopted at a Dominion conference of representatives of all organisations concerned. “In order to assist the National Patriotic Fund Board in carrying out its work and to ensure adequate audit checks —so important in the handling of public moneys—the Government has made available to the board the services of experienced officers who are

charged with the duty of administering the regulations, to the satisfaction of the Audit Department.

“The patriotic funds are not in any way administered or expended by the Government, hut by the elected representatives of public bodies in the district concerned, and by the National Patriotic Board,” Mr Mansford added. SPENDING AUTHORITIES.

Cr. Tenuent: 'When money is spent overseas tor soldiers who decides what amount should be spent? Tiie Mayor: bo tar as the fighting services are concerned, the Y.M.C.A., St. Vincent de Paul bociety. Church oi England Military Affairs Committee, ana the Salvation Army are spending authorities, and they have to requisition tor funds, stating the purpose for which the funds are required and., if approved, then authority for the expenditure is given by the National Patriotic I< unds Board. Otherwise, amounts and purposes are decided by the Trust bunds Board. Special officials and committees overseas assist generally in regard to advice to-the National Patriotic Funds Board. Or. Tennent: What is the constitution of the zono committees, and what are their functions and duties? The Mayor: Zone committees are set up unuer clause (2) Regulation 10 of the Patriotic Purposes Emergency Regulations, 1930, which reads as follows: ‘The several Provincial 'Centennial Councils and controlling committees under the New Zealand Centennial Act, 1938, existing from time to time are hereby declared to be Provincial Patriotic Councils and controlling committees for the purpose of these regulations.’ There is provision for enlarging the committee, which was done in Palmerston North. To act as the local committee representing the Provincial Council and generally control local patriotic efforts and see that the regulations are being observed.

Cr. Tennent: Have all the moneys in hand and administered by patriotic i committees from the last war been taken over by the Central Board, and | how are they being administered at I present ? The Mayor: No. they have not been taken over; any patriotic -society is at liberty to pass over its funds to the National War Funds Council, which may or mav not accept them. If they are" accepted, then that particular societv operates on. an imprest account through the National War bunds Council. Efforts have been made through the years for the pooling of the funds of patriotic societies, but these efforts have almost unanimously been resisted. The present position is that where the cost of administration of any particular society is considered too great and this is not remedied, the funds are liable to be taken into the central fund. I should say this latter is the recommendation to the Government by a special committee appointed to report on patriotic funds generally. MONEY FROM SHOPS.

Cr. Tennent: Who handles the money from the time it enters the shops until it is spent on gift parcels for soldiers and the parcels dispatched? The Mayor: As to gifts lor parcels, there is a special committee raising funds lor parcels; the money is handled by the committee and banked from day to day. Money from the shop: This is entered up daily at the end of the day bv the ladies in charge that day, a receipt is given to the organisation in charge for the amount by an officer appointed, it is then put in a sate daily and hawked next morning, the deposit slip being made available to the general secretary. Over TKKX) lias already been forwarded to the pro- - vincial council for patriotic purposes from the shop. Cr. Tennent: Can any group of women run a shop for the purpose ot sending away Christmas parcels, oi must they he’part of some special and official organisation; if so, what organisation, and are they allowed to accept money and spend it as they like? „ The Mayor: No, any group of women cannot run a shop ; .they must be approved by the chairman of the Zone Committee, and they would not l>e allowed to accept money and spend it as they like.. Cr Tennent: Must the money hist pass through the hands of the Patriotic Board or Council in Wellington? 'The Mayor: All money must be paid into the Provincial or National Patriotic Council. . Cr Tennent: Is there any limit to the amount of money which can he spent for' this purpose; if so, how much?-’ , . The Mayor: The amount of money) expended is limited by the number ot parcels to he sent. Ci- Tennent: What happens to the balance; docs it go to the Rehabilitation Fund along with the surplus from other appeals? . The Mayor: If there is any surplus it would be kept for the next lot ot parcels. Any sum of money in hand, if any locally, would only be a small sum. , Cr Tennent: Is there any amount specified as being required for the Rehabilitation Fund; what amount is in that fund already; did the surplus above £250,000 required for the Red Cross Appeal (approximately £300,000)' go to that fund? The Mayor: The fund for rehabilitation of soldiers is incorporated in tlic fund mentioned by His Excellency Lord Galway, the appeal for which is to commence on October 1 for £1.000,000, for the relief of Londoners, comforts for tho expeditionary forces, and rehabilitation of soldiers. There is nothing in the fund that 1 know of. The surplus of the Sick, Wounded and Distress Appeal (not the Red Cross Appeal) did not go to that fund. It is held in a special account and can only be used for sick, wounded and distressed soldiers till such time as there are no sick or wounded to be cared for. Cr Tennent: Who decides what the contents of the parcels sent should he? The Mayor: This is decided by a committee in Wellington after consultation with the Army. As a matter of fact the Christmas parcel was 'decided after consultation with tho troops themselves in Egypt. Cr Tennent: In the event of the war lasting longer than has been anticipated, has any provision been made whereby the surplus money paid to the rehabilitation fund from a special fund can be refunded to that special fund and so avoid a second appeal for tho same fund ? The Mayor: If surplus money were in any particular fund and the legislation is not already provided for its transfer to another fund whero it would he of greater value to the soldiers, then a recommendation would he made to the Minister to provide- a regulation to permit of its transfer. Cr Tennent: Is there any interference with the number of parcels sent to a soldier from various sources? For instance, if Private A had six parcels sent to him by one mail and Private B had only two, is it correct that two parcels would he taken from Private A and readdressed to Private B?

The Mayor: No, certainly not. This would mean tampering with the mail services of the country and would not be countenanced by the Government for one moment. The institution of the bulk parcel scheme is that in the posting of private parcels there is alum vs the difficulty and in some cases

delay ’in delivery. For instance, a parcel may be posted to a soldier; when it gets to the address lie may be in hospital; then it is redirected to theliospital. When it gets there, lie may have gone somewhere else. You can, I think, appreciate the difficulties under certain circumstances, but I do want to remove any impression that addressed parcels are interfered with. As I have already mentioned it would be an offence punishable by law. Cr Tennent thanked the Mayor for the statement.