PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24415, 28 September 1940, Page 13

PATRIOTIC FUNDS

TO THE EDITOR

Sir, —At the meeting of the Otago Patriotic Council on Wednesday the chairman of the Queen Carnival Committee <Mr A. Barnett) deplored the apathy of the Dunedin public to the appeal for funds. From your report the tone of the meeting was that the country people were rising to the occasion, but that the town lagged behind. Through the courtesy of a friend 1 have been able to peruse two documents relating to the distribution of the funds after they have been collected. The first is a report of the proceedings of the conference of the National Patriotic Council, the National Patriotic Fund Board and the provincial Patriotic Councils, held in Wellington on May 16 and 17 last No. 2 Committee was concerned with the distribution of funds collected and this committee recommended that there should be a uniform procedure throughout the country for the rehabilitation and relief of distress amongst members of the fighting forces and their dependants. It also recommended that each provincial council should arrange for the establishment through each of its interzone committees or zone executive of a special sub-committee to deal exclusively with rehabilitation and relief of distress problems It was also a recommendation that these committees should have power to grant immediate

rclicl <o applicants should that be necessary. These recommendations are quite good and on the right lines, and would be endorsed bv each and every ex-“ Digger.” The second document is that issued by the Otago Provincial Patriotic Council, It is dated August 21. and addressed to Mr A. C. Cameron, the chairman of the Air Force Queen’s Co-or-dinating Committee. Evidently it is a reply to an inquiry made by Mr Cameron. and goes on to detail the purposes for which the fund will be used It refers to a special fund to be set aside for the after-care of the men from the Otago Province and possibly their dependants. though it does not mention them. It states that the disbursement of this fund will be carried out <by the existing patriotic organisation, comprising the Provincial Council, Zone Controlling Committees and Subzone Committees. Then this paragraph concludes with: “ The advice and information which these latter committee? will be in a position to give regarding the merits of applicants should be invaluable and prove in every wav effective for dealing with each case impartially and on its merits.” I take this to mean that the zone committees and the sub-zone committees will only be used to gather information for the Provincial Patriotic Council, which will sit in Dunedin, and that it will not have power or authority to grant immediate relief to those applications who need it. I may state that there are some here who contend that power will be granted local committees to give immediate relief, and on the other hand there are many more who are of the opinion that no such power will be given to local committees or sub-zone committees and that the position will develop on exactly the same lines as those followed bv the Otago Patriotic Association which is administering the funds collected during the Great War. I can assure the chairman of the Otago Queen Carnival Committee that the aoathv he has noticed in Dunedin will be accentuated in the country districts unless this point is cleared up to the satisfaction of the people in the country areas. I know all about the cause, and what we should do. and all that sort of thingbut the country folk are rather tired of handing everything over to a committee in Dunedin, and then find that when the show is over they have to “ crawl ”to get a fair spin Make it abundantly clear that the country areas are to have some sav in handing out immediate relief to returned men and their dependants, and the Dunedin Committee will find that there will be no apathv in the country districts. —I am. etc.. South Ota fro. Balclutha.