The Daily News. FRIDAY, JULY 16, 1915. FUND FOR OUR WOUNDED.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 July 1915, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, JULY 16, 1915. FUND FOR OUR WOUNDED.

The arrival at (Wellington of the Willochra yesterday emphasises the necessity for the adoption of a concerted plan of action throughout the dominion with reference to the raising and administration of funds for the benefit of our wounded soldiers and sailors and their dependents. It will 'be remembered that a conference of mayors, chairmen of local bodies and otliers interested in the work undertaken I>y patriotic societies in the Wellington, Taranaki and llawke's Bay Provinces took place in Wellington on July 2, when it was found that some of the provinces were averse to the creation of a national fund, 'but would prab'ably favor a federated scheme -w it'll the object of ensuring that our wounded soldiers and sailors and their dependents should receive, as far as possible, a uniform rate of pay, a scheme in that direction being drafted by 'Mr. Sken-ctt, K.C., and Sir J. Findlay to be considered at a further conference at Wellington on July 2jß The Mayor of Xew Plymouth (Mr. J. E. Wilson) lias just received ai circular which has been sent by the Woilington'F.xecutive to all mayors >and others interested in the movement, stating that the committee, appointed at the first conference recommended that, instead of having the provinces as districts under the federated scheme, the dominion should be divided into the ; four areas now defined as the military i areas of the dominion —namely, Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury and Ofago, with Wellington as Hie chief centre. The committee considered it would be to,the advantage-of all the patriotic societies in the Wellington military district to I'euWto. on the lines suggested by Mr. (SkerroU-,; thereby saving much

labor and expense The proposal is that all money raised in (lie various districts shall lie pooled, tlie mayors of the chief towns'being the trustees and exofficio members of the executive. which would thus become ;l large bod v. 'lf is also suggested that each district in the ureas shall he entitled to'one mem-

her on the executive for every' £IO,OOO

or of £]O.(W) paid iniJ'the fedorated fiim]. "If thi.-j method is adopted,'' states, the circular, "every portion of the districts will ])e represented." Mow

this win work out may 'foe ganged from (he fact that Wellington has raised nearly £11)0,000, while Wairarapa's contributions are expected to be between fifty and 11. hundred thousand sterling. Tim's these two districts would probably be entitled to about twenty members, ft "ill readily be imagined that with the

cv-ofileio members mentioned above and the representatives of the contributing districts the executive will be of enor

moirs proportions. Provision is. however

made for a u "inner" executive, to be elected by the main executive, and most likely, for the s ake of convenience, com sistmg of Wellington men, as that eily is suggested as the centre. Part of the scheme is that committees ,„■ aw nts should be appointed in ditrcivnt parts '" the military ,reas, wl,ere wanted,, clothed with power t 0 deal with urjent cases, and provided with a certain! amount of funds for the purpose. I "They will inquire into cases and make i recommendations (1) for grant* of

money to Uoftp the wounded men £oing, and, if possible,' to lielp them to enter a bushier, or to satisfy su-tunl wants; (2) )>;iyin s out the .pension jintnicd by tin' executive." The conference, wlihh is to moot on July 28, is to be .preceded by a •preliminary meeting on the day

previous, whereat internal arrangements are to be discussed and, if possible, determined, and delegates elected to the conference. The proposals stated in the

(.■'uvular appear to lie open to the. same objections as was the national fund scheme—too much centralisation and too little encouragement to the provinces to raise funds over -which they will practically liave little, if any, control. The federated scheme in which the provinces had an equal share of work and responsibility was distinctly sound, but tlie military areas cover districts in which there is no sort of community of interest. As to the waste of time and expense involved, surely these items must be imaginary. It should be distinctly laid down that all work in connection with the fund shall lie voluntary. \o one will grudge the time spent over this labor of love, and the expenses should be infinitesimal. Doles of money to district agents or committees are likely to -prove fruitful sources .of trouble and friction, while it will he extremely difficult to secure capable and reliable persons in one district to administer funds controlled in another district. Tlie provincial federation scheme would provide live centres, the committees consisting of men actually in touch with the subscribers and the beneficiaries. By all means have a central fund controlled by delegates from the provinces, but to have an executive composed of members on a .pro-rata basis of collections is neither sound ~or politic. In this mattor there should be but one aim and one spirit—to do the. greatest good in the most harmonious way, otherwise there will creep in some of those evils which in the past I,av o caused ugly stigmas on charitable efforts. The money contributed by the public must be regarded as a M cred trust. Yew Zealand has never had to face such a sonous task before as that which has »ow to be undertaken in vonncction w.th the sufferers -by the war The great need in this matter is for the exhibition „f high altruistic virtues and tiie einnina.tion of all pettiness and nar- ' | rowness. The honor of the dominion is ««t stake, and the utmost care is imi*mt.vc that nothing should b c done to mar the beneficence of th v people or in any way prejudice the brave mpn who have so manfully o,,nc forth to <]( „ fend the Kmpire and all it stands for The debt we owe to the wounded and the.r dependents „„, st be paid in full •nd to do this it is ll(T( , ssary tQ ' on the best, soundest and most effective «*ome that can o,e devis,,). Delegates o the conference will do well to ponder he matter seriously M<n arrfv i decision. "