PATRIOTIC FUND APPEAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 258, 28 September 1940, Page 6

PATRIOTIC FUND APPEAL.

Ax appeal for one million pounds for patriotic purposes is shortly to be inaugurated by the Provincial Patriotic Councils acting under the Patriotic Funds Board. It has three purposes —to provide money for the relief of distress in London arising from indiscriminate Nazi bombing attacks; comforts for New Zealand soldiers, and a rehabilitation fund to help them in their absorption once more into civilian'life. Subscriptions have already been opened throughout the Dominion for the London distress fund. of £IOO,OOO, this sum haying been cabled Home immediately by the Government' and made a first charge on the money raised under the appeal. But, as pointed out in Wellington this Aveek, the Sick, Wounded, and Distressed Fund, which greatly exceeded the amount originally aimed at, has provided £75,000, so that the balance of £25,000, divided between the various districts, remains to be raised. So _ spontaneous has been the giving for this Very worthy cause that this small sum must be very largely exceeded, and the balance, it is stated by the Mayor of Wellington, will become part of the general patriotic appeal. This Avitliout doubt is not the desire of donors and a better procedure would be to earmark this money as part of another gift to the stricken cities of the Motherland. At this time there is no more deserving cause for public subscription and New Zealanders have not required prompting, the reports of devastated homes and shattered bodies evoking a spontaneous response. As to the major fund, it bears its own recommendation and will have a very strong appeal. The provision of comforts for the soldiers and money for their rehabilitation is most necessary, but the Government might make it clear what is meant by rehabilitation and how the funds will be applied. At the same time the launching of the proposal so soon after the announcement of the compulsory loan must make it rather difficult for the Government to achieve its objective within the time stated.