The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1916. PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 59, 15 February 1916, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1916. PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

I Discussing the State and Patriotic' j Funds, the Wellington Post remarks! that months pass and the people of New Zealand are still waiting lor a clear policy showing unmistakably the I functions of the State and of Patriotic! Societies in respect to returned soldiers, and that representatives of the State and trustees of the funds are watching each other as the hunter and the hunted, and this certainly is pretty nearly the position. As Minister of Public Health, Mr Russell is concerned with soldiers who need treatment in hospitals or convalescent homes, and he wishes the societies to subsidise the State for that purpose. Mr Russell sees the societies with a total of about £750,000 raised from the public for the benefit of sick or wounded soldiers and their dependents, and he is eager to have a liberal helping from the big bag, so that the general taxpayers may be relieved in some | measure. Emphasising this position the journal quoted says: lu the case I of the King George Hospital at RotoI rua, Mr Russell's appeal brought help I from some societies and refusals from ! others. When lie mentioned this mat- | tor recently to the executive of the 'Canterbury Patriotic Society the attitude of this body was stated thus:— "(1) Jt was the duty of the Government to return the men to the same state of health as when it took them on as soldiers, if that was possible: cl) the committee did not intend to spend | one penny of its money in doing the j Government's duly. The funds of the ; committee were firstly for the dependents of the men who enlisted, and | secondly to supplement the Govern- : ment's pension." Wo believe that a similar opinion is held by the Auckland, Wellington, and Otago Societies, and we are in agreement with them. .Many thousands of people are hopej ful that this week's conference will ' establish a clear understanding beI tween the Government and the socie- ' ties. No doubt, in the interval. Mr j Russell will ascertain the mind ol j Cabinet and go to the conclave with J a definite official statement. At present several of the strongest socie-

! ties are suspicious; they have a feeli ing that Mr Russell is manoeuvring j to divert voluntary funds to purposes j which should he a charge on war taxation. The Minister’s clash with the Auckland body was most unfortunate at this stage, for the incident would tend to harden the northern society in its resolution to be absent from the conference. As Canterbury Otago, and Wellington will bo represented, it would he very regrettable to have Auckland in isolation. The Auckland Society has emphatically declared against a “nationalising” of , tiie funds, but there are other niat- , ters to be discussed. Probably the most important question is the final definition of functions. Auckland lias just experienced the need of a proproper understanding, which cannot be reached unless the principal societies have a conference with a Minister of the Crown. If the projected meet-

ing achieves only one thing—an agreement on points of policy—it will be a great move forward. Auckland has vigorous able men who could give very valuable help in the arrangement of such a policy. Auckland's performance, with the raising of over £208.,000, has been so splendid that the leading men should not run the risk of having the record dimmed a little by any misunderstanding which might arise from a refusal to attend the conference.