TREASURER'S REPORT.

White Ribbon, Volume 21, Issue 250, 18 April 1916, Page 13

TREASURER'S REPORT.

Madam President and Dear Sisters, — The report whit h 1 have the pleasure of presenting to you shows that we commenced the year with a credit balance ot £a)(j is jd; that the total receipts were £149 10s nd, and the total expenditure ,6103 3s 3d, and that the year closed with a total balance of £B2 8s lod. On comparing these figures with those of the previous year, 1 had that the total amount of receipts is practically the same, although individual items show differences. The combined total of the Franchise Day collections and the donations, both of which go to the X.Z. Fund, are only a little short of the previous year’s total, and 1 wish to thank those friends and Unions who have helped materially by individual donations or by undertaking to collect from others. When I made a special appeal for assistance at the last Convention, some of our members kindly offered to collect in aid of the appeal. Further consideration, however, me that, in view of the heavy calls which present conditions are making upon the time and purses of most members of the community, it w ould be inadvisable to press the claims of the X.Z. Fund, and while appreciating very highly the willingness of our friends to assist, I have pot availed myself of their kindness, in undertaking any special widespread collection. The assistance which some have nevertheless given is therefore all the more welcome. Turning to the items of expenditure, the total is about Z*-4 ,n excess of last year’s outlay. Practically the whole of this is due to heavy expenses in printing the patriotic pledges, constitutions, and leaflets on “Kational Peril,’’ in addition to the usual items which m.ike up our printing bill every year. Before closing the books, 1 remitted to the World’s Treasurer the amount collected for the World’s Missionary Fund, and the amount of capitation fees at the rate of a half-penny per member upon our total membership, including that of the Native Unions, using for the latter the membership returns as given in last Convention number. You will be aware that in previous years we have sent to the World’s Treasury, as a special donation, the other half penny per member which we collect. This year, however, I have held over the amount for ihe present, so that Convention may decide whether to have it sent as a donation as previously, or to send it as a special donation to the Willard National Temperance Hospital, whose appeal was published in the last “White Ribbon,” or to hold it over until sufficient can be sent to entitle the N.Z. Union to nominate a life member of the World’s Union.

I shall exhibit to you the usual detail statement of the membership and finances of the branch Unions whose returns have been received. The total membership shows an increase, capitation fees having been paid for the year on 3333 members, with a few returns not yet to hand. The balancesheets received from 84 Unions show a total revenue amounting to £2198, and expenditure totalling /2140, with a sum of in hand at the close of the year. The latter does not include the value of other assets owned by some of the Branches. At the time of dosing the books, no returns had been received from the following Unions: — Aratapu, Tauranga, Upper Hutt, Kaikoura, Westport, Methven, and Alexandra. The Banner Contest is won this year by the Patea Union, with a membership increase of 166 per cent. The following other Branches have also secured good membership increases:— W inchmore : 143 per cent. Normanby and Dannevirke : each 125 per cent. Lower Hutt: 120 per cent. New Brighton : 101 per cent. Belfast: 100 pel cent. Mr George Plummer, of Auckland, has kindly audited the accounts this year, and I shall ask Convention to express its appreciation of his assistance. I wish also to thank the Branch Treasurers for the complete and satisfactory way in which their returns have reached me. NELLIE BENDELY, N.Z. Treasurer. Auckland, 10th March, 1916.