PATRIOTIC COMMITTEE.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 September 1918, Page 6

PATRIOTIC COMMITTEE.

ANNUAL MEETING. The adjourned annual meeting of the New Plymouth Patriotic Committee was held at the Soldiers' Club last night. The Mayor (Mr. C. 11. Burgess! presided, aud there were about 2o present, including several ladies. ANNUAL REPORT, The report and balance-sheet (as already published) were read and received. In moving their adoption the chairman said it did not appear from the report that a great amount of work had been done, but a lot of details had been attended to, and there had been an amount of assistance in small sums granted by the committee which it had not been necessary to put before the War Relief Association, as power was granted to the committee to deal with such applications. A great deal of work in connection with the mobilisation of the Second Division had been done through the local representatives of the Efficiency Board, and the chairman said that if that work had had to be done by the Patriotic Committee it would have had a very heavy burden of work. He knew from personal associatidn with the members of the Efficiency Trustees that in connection with the attendance to business concerns of men who had to go away, a great deal of work was entailed, and tfas being done with much satisfaction. There was, however, plenty of scope still for the committee in providing for the well-being of the men, from the time they leave New Plymouth until they returned home, in sending them additional comforts. He referred to the finances of the committee, and said that as no appeal had been made to the public for a long time, the funds had got somewhat low. An effort by the Pierrots was now in hand, which was to be divided between the committee and the Women's Patriotic Committee, and it was hoped that the money would be expended by the new committee in a similar manner to the plan at present in operation. The chairman then made reference to the loss sustained by the committee in the death of the late Mr. H. Goodacre, and the late Mr. H. J. Okey, M.P. He also referred to the resignation of Mr. J. Clarke, who had been a very useful member of the committee, and who was going away to serve his country in the fighting forces. Mr. Burgess then gave some details of the work accomplished by the Women's Patriotic Committee in sending gift goods to the men in camp, on the transports and at the front, and the reading of the record was greeted with applause. He said the keynote of the whole work was not so much the value of what was sent in the parcels, but the sentiment behind the work. Referring to appeals for outside funds, the Mayor said he hoped the funds of the committee would be conserved, and that if special funds wanted assistance particular efforts should be made on their behalf, instead of depleting the funds of the committee by making donations to them. He then mentioned the matter of the Soldiers' Club, which had more than justified its institution, and which had been maintained by means of voluntary contributions. He was sure the impending change in the ownership of the building in which the club was situated would make no difference to the elub, and that the Harbor Board would grant the club the same privileges as it now enjoyed. Concluding, he expressed thanks to the officers and members of the committee, the Women's Patriotic Committee, the Citizens' Band, and the press, for services rendered in connection with the work. He referred to the apparently favorable turn in the tide of the war, but urged that there was work still to be done, as men continued to be sent away, and now that married men were being mobilised the sacrifice seemed heavier, though he in no way belittled the sacrifice made by the single men. He hoped the new year might be the last of the war, and that for the committee it would be a record one. The motion was seconded by Mr. W. A. Collis, and carried unanimously. ELECTION OF COMMITTEE. The election of the committee resulted as follows: Mrs. Burgess, M.8.E., Messrs. C. H. Burgess, W. J. Chaney, L. M. Monteath, J. Paton, C. E. Bellringer, J. MeLeod, J. W. Hayden, G. Eraser, C. Carter, J. Hoskin, J. R. Hill, C. Sadler, P. Jackson, Rev. W. A. Sinclair, W. A. Collis. L. A. Nolan, T. C. List, H. J. S. Brookman, R. W. D. Robertson. The representatives of the country districts and the Returned Soldiers' Association will be appointed by those sections later.

THANKS. Special mention was made of me representation of the committee on the VVar Relief Association by Mr. Bellringer, and a vote of thanks was passed to him. Mr. Bellringer, in acknowledging the vote, said he thought it was a duty owed to the men who were fighting at the front, to do all possible for them. The Mayor also expressed thanks to those who had assisted him in the farewells to the reinforcements every month, and also to the Women's Patrioticc Committee for providing them with refreshments on the morning of their departure. Mr. C. Carter made further reference to the work of the Women's Patriotic Committee, as indicated by the Mayor's remarks, and he moved that the "best thanks of the men's committee be tendered to them in appreciation of what they had done, and urged that so long as the women carried on such work they should be given an assurance by the men that they would not want for the necessary funds. His motion was seconded in similar terms by the Ven. Archdeacon Evans and carried with acclamation and enthusiasm. The Mayor replied on behalf of the Women's Patriotic Committee.