COMFORTS FOR SOLDIERS

Southland Times, Issue 24823, 15 August 1942, Page 5

COMFORTS FOR SOLDIERS

Sir,—The Government of New Zealand, by legislation, has authorized the provincial councils to collect all patriotic funds and a National Patriotic Fund Board was set up in Wellington, headed by his Excellency the Gover-nor-General. In addition to the provincial councils, representatives of the Joint Order of St. John and the New Zealand Red Cross and other expending agents attend the board. It must be quite clear that, as our Governor-Gen-eral is by virtue of his office apart from party politics, funds held by a board of which he is chairman would not be interfered with by any Government. ... . All sensible citizens will agree that one collecting agency is desirable and that is what the legislation aimed at. Expending agents were appointed by the Patriotic Fund Board, and they include the following: the Church Army the Y.M.C.A., the Salvation Army’ the Catholic Services, and the Order of St. John and the Red Cross. All these agents draw their requirements from the Patriotic Fund. Everyone is proud of the response by Southland people to the call for voluntary workers for patriotic purposes, and the many committees working at Patriotic and Red Cross rooms grudge neither time nor money in helping the cause, but we are £20,000 short of our quota in Southland and I appeal to everyone to help by donating further sums on Saturday night during our radio appeal. I would suggest that all Patriotic committees, sub-centres of the Red Cross and citizens committees should turn their attention to ways and means of assisting appeals for Patriotic purposes. By doing this good fellowship between all sections working for one common purpose—the welfare of the forces—can be established. P. L. HODGE, Chairman,_ Invercargill Metropolitan Patriotic Committee. Invercargill, August 14, 1942.