BELGIUM FUND.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 44, 23 February 1915, Page 6

BELGIUM FUND.

IMMEDIATE NATIONAL ACTION URGED.

Per Press (Association,

Timaru, February 23

Mr Craigie, M.P., in a message to the Premier (Mr Massey), urges that Belgian Relief be dealt with on a national basis and by special taxation to cover New Zealand’s contribution, and he asks that action 1 be taken at once.

The legal committee, which meets to-morrow to take steps to help the Mayor of Timaru also sent a message on similar lines to. Mr Craigie’s, and asking what the Government intends to do. " ; ■ ' ■ 7

STATEMENT BY MR MASSEY. Wellington, February 23. With regord to the appeal cabled yesterday on behalf of the starving Belgians, the Prime Minister states ho has no official comnjunication on the subject. He had asked the Governor to cable the Imperial authorities asking for further information, and as to how it is proposed to distribute food or money contributed. In the meantime, if people of tbe Dominion chose to send contributions of food or money to tbe Government as answer to tbe appeal, they would be taken charge of in the ordinary way and forwarded in due course without interfering with the efforts of the Belgian Consuls in different centres.