LIEUT.-COLONEL MALONE'S APPEAL FOR REGIMENTAL FUND.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 30, 22 September 1914, Page 7

LIEUT.-COLONEL MALONE'S APPEAL FOR REGIMENTAL FUND.

[To The Editor Stratford Post.; Sir,—The Central Committee of the Stratford Patriotic Fund desires that the following account of the Committee's efforts towards having established a regimental fund for the benefit of men while absent be published for public information. Perusal of this will clearly establish that the committeo soon recognised the desirability of constituting a proper scheme to provide for the men, and that we have been consistently active in the matter. The committee was sot up on the evening of 10th August, and on 12th August the following wire was despatched to the Hon. Minister of Defence: "Committee respectfully suggests that portion funds (provided by public subscription be allocated to form regimental fund for benefit of men while absent." On 24th ' August, Major Bellringer advised us that he had in hand a scheme to raise £2OO for infantry of Taranaki and suggested that wo contribute £25. This was agreed to, and on learning that ho met difficulty in raising the wholo £2OO, wo offered a further £ls, which was accepted. On same date we wired the officer commanding 2nd Mounted Rifles, Awapuni, offering to contribute to a fund for benefit of mounted men, but no reply was forthcoming. On 25th August we advised Colonel Malone that Major Bellringer was establishing a regimental fund, and that \v< advised Colonel Pringle that we would hi pleased to contribute to a fund for mounted men and the offer was accepted. On 28th August we forwarded £4O to Major Bellringer and £25 to Colonel Pringle. On Bth September, we replied to a circulai letter from Major Brunt on the samr matter. We advised him of our con tribution of £OS, and stated that we were prepared to bear our portion. We also expressed the opinion that the Government should adequately provide out of patriotic funds for all men of the expeditionary forces and thus ensure proper and equal provision For men from all districts. On 18th September we received from the hon. secretary of the Manawatu patriotic fund a circular letter setting forth a. scheme whereby every man of the expeditionary forces would be provided for. This required a sum equal to £4 per head, making a total of £152,000. It was proposed to have a civilian in London or at the base fully accredited by the Government to administer the fund, and the Government is to be asked to provide half the amount. The scheme has the full approval of General. Godley. We would therefore require to provido £2 for each man of our district. Wo replied to this circular sotting forth what we had already done, and stating that wo are prepared to increase our contribution in accordance with this or any similar scheme, and suggested that administration of the

fund be under the control of the High Commissioner. On same date we also urged upon the Hon. Minister of Defence that the Government should adequately provide for the men in this direction and that we are prepared to contribute accordingly. Today wo wired Lieut.-Colonel Malone as follows:—".Referring your letter in Stratford Post re regimental fund. We point out that Stratford Committee lias actively supported regimental fund and is prepared to further support scheme suggested by Manawatu Patriotic Committee."—Yours, etc., J. B. RICHARDS, Hon. Sec. Patriotic Fund.