NATIONAL RADIO APPEAL

Southland Times, Issue 24824, 17 August 1942, Page 4

NATIONAL RADIO APPEAL

FUNDS FOR PATRIOTIC PURPOSES The national radio appeal on Saturday night for the patriotic fund to provide comforts for the fighting forces was not as successful as previous efforts of this kind have been. When the final Dominion broadcast was made at 10 30 ; p.m. the Dominion total was £54,0/9, but the figure was not final as there were still returns to come in. At that stage Hawke’s Bay was leading on a percentage basis with a total of £57,90z collected, including £3902 that night. Otago was second with 77.2 per cent., a total of £115,938 being in hand with £7BBB collected that night. Nelson and Westland were third equal and Southland was fifth with a percentage of 74.8, a total of £45,665 in hand and £4905 collected on Saturday night. However, station 4YZ remained, open until 11 p.m. and late donations raised the Southland total for the night to £5095/4/-. The Southland _ quota for the current financial year is £61,000, so that a sum of just over £15,000 will lhave to be raised before September 30 if the quota is to be reached. INVERCARGILL’S QUOTA Although Southland’s total for the appeal looks favourable compared with Otago’s figure of £7BBB and Auckland s £6710, it includes £2OOO raised in Invercargill during the week by various functions. This fact was pointed out by Mr P. L. Hodge, chairman of the Metropolitan Patriotic Committee, in a short broadcast during the course of the appeal. He said that the Invercargill zone still required £6500 to complete its total. There were six special telephones installed at 4YZ broadcasting station for the purpose of receiving the donations. City contributors were connected directly with the station. Those in the country telephoned their donations to their local exchanges and the exchanges from time to time forwarded progress reports to 4YZ. Twelve volunteer women workers in charge of Mrs J. Mcliwraith attended to the telephone calls to 4YZ, but though the calls came in steadily throughout the night they did not have to deal with any particular rush. Progress reports, in which the amounts subscribed in the various patriotic zones in Southland were given, were broadcast from time to time. At stated times all the national stations were linked for progress returns for the whole Dominion. SHORT ADDRESSES GIVEN During the evening various speakers, principally representatives of the expending agencies of the patriotic fund, gave short addresses from 4YZ. Mr Dudley R. Wills, secretary of the Invercargill Y.M.C.A., referred to the 100 recreation huts that the Y.M.C.A. maintains in the camps in New Zealand and to the work of the Y.M.C.A. for the troops overseas. He said that the whole of the money from this work came from the patriotic fund. Major Martin Brown made similar remarks about the work of the Salvation Army on behalf of the armed forces.

The Rev. Father J. Murphy made a special appeal to members of the Catholic Church. He said that the only way a new order that would ensure peace could be established was by a spirit of self-sacrifice, and he appealed to all to show that spirit by supporting the patriotic fund. The-Ven. Archdeacon J. A. Lush spoke as representative of the military affairs committee of the Church of England.

Mr W. M. C. Denham, M.P., referred to various untrue rumours which were doing harm to the patriotic fund. He said it was quite untrue that the Government was in any way using the patriotic fund for other purposes. Every penny subscribed to the fund was used for the purpose for which the fund was established.

A final appeal was made by the Mayor, Mr A. Wachner, who thanked all who had subscribed to the fund.

DOMINION FIGURES (P.A.) WELLINGTON, August 16. During the week ended Saturday New Zealand subscribed a total of £176,387 to the patriotic funds, said the secretary of the National Patriotic Fund Board, Mr G. A. Hayden, tonight. He said the result was very good. The radio and telephone appeal on Saturday night brought in a substantial increase of £54,079. The largest amount, £14,335, came from Wellington. No province had yet raised its full quota, but Hawke’s Bay was nearest with 86.3 per cent.

The provincial totals for the current year’s campaign with the percentages of quotas and with the amounts raised in -the radio and telephone appeal shown in parentheses are now: Hawke’s Bay, £57,902, 86.3 p.c. (£3902); Otago, £115,938, 77.2 p.c. (£7888); Nelson, £27,390, 76 p.c. (£1390); Westland, £10,649, 76 p.c. (£435); Southland, £45,665, 74.8 p.c. (£4905); Wellington, £143,615, 66.7 p.c. (£14,335); Marlborough, £BB4O, 58.9 p.c. (£740); East Coast, £13,822, 51.9 p.c. (£1172); Taranaki, £45,952, 45.9 p.c. (£5852); Auckland, £189,986, 37.8 p.c. (£6710).