PATRIOTIC COMMITTEE.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 May 1918, Page 6

PATRIOTIC COMMITTEE.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Patriotic Committee, was held last night. His Worship the Mayor (Mr. C. H. Burgess) presided, and there were present: Sirs. Burgess, the Veil. Archdeacon Evans, Messrs W. ,T. Chaney (deputy chairman), C. E. Bellringer, C. Sadler, J. l'at on (treasurer), J. R. Hill, T. C. List, ami L. M. Monteath (secretary). Apologies for absence were received from Messrs C. Carter and W. A. Collis. A letter was received from Mr. D. N. McDiarmid, Y.M.C.A. secretary, Khartoum, acknowledging receipt of a draft for £4l 15s 7d for New Zealand soldiers in Egypt. The lion, secretary of the New (Ply. mouth branch of the Red Cross Society wrote intimating that a resolution had been passed that, in order to avoid any further division of effort for war objects coming within the society's scope, the society was prepared to co-operate with any of the local patriotic societies in any endeavor on behalf of the wounded anil sick soldiers.—Received. The Taranaki War Relief Association wrote intimating that the annual meeting of the association would be held at Stratford on May 15, and stating that the committee was empowered to appoint a representative in addition to the committee's delegate to the association.— Mr. J. R. Hill was appointed. A letter was received from the Napier Patriotic Society embodying a resolution protesting against the employment of enemy aliens in the public service, and asking the society to endorse the same. The chairman pointed out that the matter was really one concerning the citizens, and if they to express themselves on the matter he was quite willing that they should do so. He did not think, however, that a resolution passed by the committee could be said to represent the views of the community, and he would not support such a resolution. Other members of the committee concurred in the chairman's view and the | matter ended there.

Mr. J. R. Hill was added to the Comforts Committee. A letter was read from the hon. secretary of the Advisory Board of the Federated Patriotic Societies intimating that in lieu of the existing arrangements whereby each military district provided for its own regiment, it had been decided to establish a common fund of £15,000 a year to provide regimental funds for all New Zealand soldiers. The quota for Taranaki district would be £259. A copy of a letter from Colonel Hughes was enclosed expressing interest in the matter of providing funds for entertaining "fit" men of the Expeditionary Force in London, and hoped that a sum would be set aside for the purpose to help the work of the War Contingent Association in that direction.

A letter was also received from the same source intimating that while thete were ample funds available for sick and wounded men, there was a shortage of funds for the benefit of fit men. The Advisory Board had decided to ask societies to contribute the sum of £3OOO for the New Zealand War Contingent Association, to be used at their discretion for the benefit of the men who were not sick or wounded. The assessment for the Taranaki district was £155.

A discussion took place, in which the opinion was very strongly expressed that instead of calling on the individual societies for such funds, they should be a charge on the centralised funds held by the War Relief Association.

Ultimately it was agreed to adhere to a former resolution to contribute £ls per month (or an amount not exceeding £2OO per year) towards the regimental funds, but that the committee was of opinion that the constitution of the War Relief Association should be sufficiently widened to permit it sending money for the benefit of men in England who were not sick or wounded.

In regard to the request for a further contribution of £155 from Taranaki it was stated that New Plymouth's share would probably be about £25. The delegates attending the annual meeting to-day were left free to vote according to their own discretion. The treasurer's statement showed that receipts for the month had been 10s for the Y.MjC.A. funds. The expenditure amounted to £45 15s. The balances were as follow: Patriotic fund £3Ol 13s lid, motor car fund £25, Y.M.C.A. fund 10s.