PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 June 1941, Page 6

PATRIOTIC FUNDS

CONSIDERATION OF POLICY QUESTIONS CONFERENCE IN WELLINGTON. ' VARIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS. Decisions of some importance were made ai a eonlerenee belli in Wellington recently of the National Patriotic Council, National Patriotic Fund Board and Provincial Patriotic Councils. Air T. ■Joi’dail, Mayor of Alasterfon. and chairman of the National Patriotic Council, presided. Decisions made included the following: That approval be given to the principle of the National Patriotic Fund Beard from time to time making such contributions to the United Kingdom as in its discretion it thinks fit. That when grants arc- made to the United Kingdom the appeals received from various organisations be referred to the High Commissioner for consideration who after consultation with representatives of the Lord Mayor's Fund, shall decide what proportion of the grant, if any, should be made to the organisation applying for assistance. That the Government be asked to pass legislation prescribing that no benefits received for patriotic organisations shall be taken into account so as in any way to reduce the amount of benefit to which any applicant would otherwise be entitled under Social Security, war pensions and/or other relevant, legislation.

MUFTI ALLOWANCE. That representations be made to the Government for the present mufti allowance payable to men on discharge to be increased from £7 10s to £l5. That this conference urges the Soldiers’ Financial Assistance Board to make appropriate use of the services of local patriotic rehabilitation committees in investigating applications for assistance. That the policy to be followed in regard to the method of supply of gift parcels is a domestic one to be deter'mined by each provincial patriotic council. That representation be made to the Government by the National Patriotic Fund Board to provide the contents of hussifs, since these were almost unprocurable in shops or by collection from other sources within the Dominion. That the Government be requested to arrange for adequate supplies of wool to be made available for purchase by Provincial Patriotic Council's for the knitting of socks for the members of the armed forces and also adequate supplies of needles.

PROVINCIAL QUOTAS. That it be a recommendation to the National Patriotic Fund Board that the quotas of the Provincial Patriotic councils be fixed on the basis of capital values and population and not on population basis as previously.

That the National Patriotic Fund ! Board be asked to incorporate in its J policy an arrangement for holding in November of each year a conference of the Provincial Patriotic councils, the National Council and the board for the purpose of considering the board’s j budget of expenditure for the ensuing .12 months. That this conference agrees that the I sick and wounded fund be available cnly for the provision of comforts for j civilians injured by enemy action, prisoners of war, and sick and wounded members of the forces until discharged and for any period during which they may be in hospital, after discharge. At no time will the sick and wounded fund be responsible for economic relief of either men, women or their dependents.

REMITTANCES TO SOLDIERS. That representations be made to the Government with a view to increasing to £5O the maximum annual remittances of £.30 now permitted to be sent to each man overseas and that a statement be sought from the Minister of Finance as to the total amount sent overseas under this heading since the beginning of the war. That the strongest representations be made to the Government to take such steps as may be necessary to remove the present delays in the transmission of cablegrams to and from members of the armed forces overseas and their next-of-kin in New Zealand: to introduce alternative rates if the concessional rate is responsible for the delays and to appoint a special officer to handle all messages passing between service men and women and their next of kin. It was agreed to take no action regarding a proposal to raise patriotic funds by taxation.