PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 8 September 1916, Page 4

PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

A return laid on the table of the House of Representatives during the last few days of the session tabulates the war funds collected by patriotic societies in New Zealand up to the thirty-first of December last, the amounts disbursed, and the funds held at that date, by the societies, for future disbursement and administration. The statement is compiled from returns furnished by the various societies throughout the country. Auckland raised £511,505, and has still £3BO, 529 in hand; Wellington collected £343,774, 'and now holds £252,945; Canterbury's total contributions

amounted to £276,172, and there is now in hand £105,160; Otago's contributions were £243,635, and that province still has £143,635 to disburse. With amounts collected in other provinces there still remained in the hands of the various societies a total of, £981,678 to be disbursed. This sum has been very largely augmented since the end of 1915, and it is estimated now that considerably over a million is awaiting disbursement. As the total contributions to the present time are estimated at very much over two millions, one million has already been used for the purpose for which it was contributed, or has been swallowed up in initial expenses and administration, It is quite expected that interest earned by funds invested will considerably more than cover costs of future administration, thereby leaving amounts at present in hand entirely* available for patriotic purposes, to which, or course, will be added the moneys that are still being collected, and also all future contributions. The voluntary monetary effort of the people of New Zealand; H is indeed creditable from whatever standpoint it is viewed. The only aspect, (that is a little difficult to understand is the huge cost of raising moneys in some localities as compared with the extremely low cost in others. It cost Wellington twice as much in expenses as it cost Auckland and Canterbury, while Otago's expenses were infinitesimal in comparison. The actual expenses were, Wellington, 2.8 per cent; Canterbury 1.7; Auckland 1.2, and Otago 0.8 per cent. There may be good reasons why the cost of raising funds in Wellington should be so immensely much higher than in Otago, but as no explanations have been given, no effort at elucidation can be intelligently made. Tlie whole results, however, disclose a noble effort and a noble achievement.

Nearly all big men by serving someone, and later by serving everyone.

The Taihape Convent School is to be formally opened by His Grace Arch bishop O'Shea, on Sunday, September 17th.

If someone lias been advanced over you. the reason may not be that this someone is superior in ability, but that this someone is more willing to serve than you. The man that can deal with the impudent without imitat ing them—is on his way up.

Farmers and others who have any trouble in understanding their position under the new "Land and Income Tax Act," and "The Finance Act," should set a book that is publshed by Messrs Hemingway and Robinson, of Auckland, which explains everything in a way a child could understand.

Mr Ernie Jowett, who was chief linotype mechanic in the Taihape Daily Times Office, and who enlisted in the Expeditionary Force from the Times Office, is now in Taihape on final leave. He is leaving by the early train to-morrow morning on Lis return to camp. He carries with him the -hearty .good wishes and congratulations of both, the literary and median ical staffs of the office, in which he was held in the hig&es.t esteem,

Mr H. C. Cochrane advertises two bargains in second-hand pianos. Last evening, shortly after 8 o 'clock, a troop train passed through Taihape, conveying members of the 18th Reinforcements, who are now spendng their final leave. For failing to register the births of children, John McMahan, H. W. Stace, and M. Bilderbeev,, were each fined 5s at the sitting of the local Magistrate's Court yesterday morning. If an express train, moving at the rate of forty-five miles an hour, were to stop instantly, it would give the passengers a shock equal to that of falling from a height of 40 feet Mr L_ A. Keedham publcly notifies that any person found removing firewood from Block 29, Sections 11 and 12, Taihape Borough, will be prosecuted without further notice. At the Tui Street Auction Mart tomorrow, Mr D. J. McLennan will sell a gig and harness, several doublebarrelled guns, separators, lubricating oils, besides the usual furniture and I>roduce.

Since the war bonds closed applications for certificates have been coming in fairly steadily from, small investors, and between £IO,OOO and £20,000 has been received. One of the largest investments amounted to £BOO.

A number of small pearls found by Colonel Hugh Boscawen in oysters in the vicinity of Whangaroa, North Auckland, have been presented to the Auckland Museum. The pearls are reported to be of mediocre quality, lac - ing the lustre which characterises the specimens found on the fishing grounds of Polynesia and North Australia.

A serious accident was narrowly averted on the Tenau hill ast evening, when a motor-ear driven by Mr J. Kilkolly, collided with a cart owned by Mr Byrne, of Mataroa. It appears that the car, which was carrying some lady passengers, was climbing the hill, and on rounding a corner collided with the cart, the left mudguard of the car being buckled and the radiator..- damaged. The horses attached to the cart fortunately escaped any but slight inuries. . The new award governing the wages and conditions of the Wellington brewers, bottlers and aerated waters' workers/ has been filed. The section concerning brewers is in accord with, the agreement recently arrived at at the Conciliation Council. The Court agreed to a request by the aerated water workers for double time, being paid to workers who start work before 7 a.m. The award provides double rates of pay for work done between the hours ,of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Last Saturday a hockey match was played at Whaka Road School, between a team representing that school and the Tiriraukawa School. Great interest was shown, many of the settlers attending to witness the contest,, which was won by Tiriraukawa by 5 goals to nil. Afternoon tea was provided by the ladies and the elders enjoyed a p,leasan,t (afternoon. Such gatherings as these tend to cement the frindly feling existing in the district, and a return match will probably be played at Tiriraukawa in a'-month's time.

The amount of unemployment in New Zealand, as shown by the latest reports of the branches of the Labour Department, has almost reached vanishing point. Most of the provincial centres send in "nil" returns. In Auckland there were 32 applications for work, seven of whom were placed. In Christchurch the applicants numbered 39, ,of whom 13 were founC work. There is still room for labourers at Bealey tunnel, but elsewhere work is scarce. The Wellington office found employment for 32 out of 37 applicants, chiefly labourers.

The National Government has resolved to extend the autnority relative to separation allowance to widowed mothers so that the allowance may be paid to the widowed mother or a married non-commissioned officer or private, provided she is wholly and solely dependent on such soldier for support. Cabinet has also decided that all ranks of the Expeditionary Force shall receive expeditionary rates of pay from the date of going into camp. This will take effect from the date on which the Military Service Act was passed that is to say, April Ist, 1916.

Philip Ngatuere, a Carterton native who lost his leg in the flighting at Gallipoli, has now been fitted with an artificial limb. Lt is so well made that, with a puttee round it and a.boot on the foot, it is not possible to say which is the real limb and which the artificial one. Ngatuere is very pleased, and amuses himself challenging the friends he meets to say which is the wooden limb. When they fail he gives the new limb a resounding tap with his waJkihjg! stick and laughs at the sound. He has a slight, limp, which will probably disappear as he becomes more used to the attachment.