New Zealand

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 225, 2 March 1915, Page 5

New Zealand

£15,000 A MONTH FOR BELGIANS. • NEW ZKAT,A>m O f!nvT?BNMENT CONTRIBUTION. Wfllintrton. Last Niijht. The Prime Minister states that the nuestion of pssistance towards the relief of Belgian distress was considered at a meeting of Cabinet to-day. The decision of the Government is contained in tinfollowing telegram which the Prime Minister hat sent.to His Excellency the Governor: "The Prim" Minister presents his compliments, and begs to request that His Excellence wjU inform the Secretary of State for the Colonies by telegraph that the New Zealand Government is prepared to forward immediately £15,000 from the Consolidated 'Funl for the relief of distressed' Belgians, with more to follow monthly, if the New Zealand Government can bo given an assurance that the money or food purchased therewith will be used for the purpose for which it is intended. (Signed.) W. \F. Massey." In reply to a cable sent to the Belgian Ambassador in London, the Consul at Wellington has been informed that the relief fund is mostly employed in ourchasing foodstuffs distributed in Belgium through the American' Commission, which has the written assurance of Germany against interference. The system is satisfactory.

IMPERIAL FOOD SUPPLIES. Wellington, Yesterday. Mr Massey states that the Imperial authorities have handed over the administration of food subplies for the armv to thr> Board of Trade, and that portion of the subject which relates to New Zealand is being today. It is unlikely, however, that, ovrfng to the. difference in tinie, any information on the subject will reach New Zealand until to-morrow.

RETURNED FROM SAMOA. ' ■ Auckland. Yesterday. Ten members of the Samoa. Expeditionary Force returne'di by the Atiia last night. They were: Private La Cren, Bell, and' Lovell (Auckland), Stubbs (Wellington), Gunner fearce, Sappers Drewery and Bodie, Drear and Thompson. '

; BELGIAN RELIEF FUND. ; WANGANUI SUGGESTIONS. Wanganui,' Last N^ight;,'. At a meeting of the Wanganui Chamber of Commerce to-night,' the following resolution was ipassed:—"That, this meeting is of opinion that, providing assistance for the Belgians is beyond \th'e scope of private subscription) that relief should be given systematically by the Dominion Government, and*that all, should be compelled to contribute; also that £Z5.000 monthly should be forwarded." It was further resolved to forward a copy of the resolution to the Premier. The Town Clerk, \n a letter to the Press, proposed a 5 per cent, tax on totalisator dividends. On the basis of the turnover in the Dohiinion during the past few years, the proposed tax would provide £IBO,OOO per annum for the re- 1 lief of the Belgians. This proposal has met with the general approval of Press and public.

TO UNIONISTS.. AN APPEAL FROM HOLLAND. A pathetic appeal for funds to assist the starving Belgian workers has Demi received by Mr J. Rejd, secretary of the United Federation of Labor, from the Nederlandsch Verbdnd Van. Vakvereenigingen (Dutch Federation of Trade Unions). The letter is'dated Amsterdam, December, 1914, and is addressed to the "Trade Union National Centres."' It runs:—"Dear Sirs, and Brothers, —It is more than four months now since the Belgian people were, against their own will, forced to take part in this war, whichi has set aflame the larger part of Europe. For more, than four months this war, with aty its horrors, has completely paralysed the economic life of that little country, plunging the whole .population, and'especially- the /working classes, into the most pitiful "misery. It will scarcely be necessary to explain to, you in'detail the general conditions in a country so ravaged by war. You have, no doubt, learned this from the daily press of your own country. It appears inecessary, however, to call your attention to the consequences this war has had for the Belgian laboring classes. Work has bene s'toppe lin all factories and workshops the first day hostilities commenced, condomriing the employees who wero not called upon to defend their country, to the terrible consequences of complete unemploymnt. "One' part of the country after the other has been conquered and occupied by the German troops. Wherever battles and other military engagments tookplace the inhabitants had to leave their dwelling, fleeing to some other city or to some other part of the country, under continual fear that -• they might soon be compelled to flee anew to some new place of refuge. "It will be easily understood that under sucli circumstanes unemployment has developed to such an extent that the trade unions are powerless and unable to effectively fight the miseries accruing therefrom. Everything possible has been suggested and done by all public boards where the workers are represented, with a view of providing for the maintenance of this unhappy, semistarved population. Food has been distributed on a very modest scale, and once in a while, money as well. All this, however, is in no wiv sufficient to keep the workers, their, wives, and children alive. Extreme misery prevails all round, and this threatens to become more acute with the approaching winter.

"The Belgian trade unions have used every possible means to save their, organisations from destruction, and to support their members during these tragic moments; but tiiere is a limit to evorvthii.g and the moans* at the disposal of the Belgian trades unions are entirely exhausted. The National Centre of ihe Trades Union's of Holland (the Nodorlandseh "Verbond Van Vakvorooniginsron), after thorough examination of this sad state of affairs, has decided to issue an urgent appeal for help on behalf of the Belgian fellowworkers. We have been communicating

with the management ■ of' the International Federation of Trade Unions (President Carl Legien, in Berlin), whom we informed of our intention. Whereupon we received an immediate reply that ho had taken notice of our plan. "We now approach your organisation, dear sirs and brothers, praying that you might render whatever help you can to the Belgian union? who at the present moment are undergoing the most serious and. sinister trial. Wiil vou kindly take cognisance of the faet that our Belgian friends have been brought, to these trying conditions witlii out any fault of their own, and we are within your power to render practical

help to the Belgian working*class, which'- . desires nothing else but to be permitted ' to continue quietly their efforts .for tliu improvement of their cconomio conditiona and their struggle for;' social-' liberation. "Will you kindly forward your con- ' tributions as early as possible to the above address, to be sent to the Belgian trade union centre from here. .Let us exprpss our sincere thanks in - advance for all you can do. Awaiting your reply, we beg to remain yours fraternally, on behalf of tha Dutch Trade Union Centra (signed), J. Cudegeest, President."