PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 September 1915, Page 7

PATRIOTIC FUNDS.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION MOVEMENT, By T»legr*Bh.~Pres» Auociriion. Wellington, Yeeterdav. The adjourned conference of representatives of the New Zealand patriotic societies and other organisations for raising funds for the relief of wounded soldiers and sailors and their dependents was held to-day. The Mayor of Wellington expressed regret that unanimity had not been arrived at on the matter of a national fund administered on national lima.

Mr. C. P. Skerrett. K.C., emphasised the absolute need for the formation of a national fund. He said it was notorious that a large number of big firms were deterred from giving considerable sums to any but a national fund. Local societies holding funds were, he submitted, collecting, not dispensing, organisations; they could not dispense relief so well as a body representative of the whole dominion.

Several other speakers also urged that the conference should lift itself above a purely parochial plane. A resolution was carried affirming the desirability of establishing a national iissocmtion for the purpose of facilitation and eo-opt-ration by nil local orajjches ;n the administration of war relief fasds. Each local branch shall nave full control of the administration Md investment of its funds, but the K'ew Zealand association ma« set up a standard scale of relief; define the area in which local branches shall raise and eipend their funds; define a uniform principle on which claims for relief shall be assigned to local branches; make provision for one branch to act on behalf of another; and fix just and equitable contributions to be paid by branches in possession of ample funds to others whose funds are inadequate. The resolution was carried unanimously, but the Auckland and Otago delegates said they were unable to vote.