TL—22

32

lore of New Zealand, Australia, and the islands of the Pacific. Tn other branches of literature the requirements of students and the reading public are adequately met by the Parliamentary, the Museum, and the University libraries. I have carefully gone through a list, of certain sets of publications of learned societies, historical and geographical works, &c, subscribed to by Mr. Turnbull, and I have checked the list with the catalogue of the General Assembly Library, Recommendations as to the continuance of certain subscriptions and the discontinuance of others have already been made. Charles Wilson, Advisory Director, Turnbull Library The Under-Secretary, Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington. VI. REPORT OF OFFICER IN CHARGE, WAR FUNDS OFFICE, War Funds Office, Wellington, 23rd duly, 1919. At the beginning of the year there were in. existence 983 separate committees dealing with the collection of war funds, of which 415 were acting as feeders for the Red. Cross Society. Quarterly statements were forwarded by 466 societies and half-yearly or yearly statements by the smaller committees. During the first half of the year there, was a, considerable increase in the number of auxiliary collecting, bodies in connection with, special, appeals, but as the result of the Armistice a number of these- have concluded their efforts. In the appendix to this report (printed sepaiatcly), the transactions of 559 societies operating in connection with general relief and comfort funds in New Zealand are shown, and a summary sets out the total effort of the Patriotic Societies operating since the outbreak of the war. The amounts forwarded through the Government by the people of the Dominion for the various oversea relief funds are as follows :— For tlie Year ending For the Period since the :i I st March. 1 (119. Outbreak nf the War. .1 s. <l. £ B. d. Belgian Relief Fund .. .. 37,599 8 2 348,720 (i 2 Other Belgian Funds .. .. 310 2 (i 6.74-6 5 4 For other Allies .. .. .. 15.873 19 2 38.230 17 3 Civil relief in Great Britain .. .. 2,912 8 3 14.728 17 5 British Red Cross Fund .. .. 142,379 I () 329.800 18 0 British Naval relief . . .. .. 13,182 17 8 111,420 16 6 New Zealand Hospital Ship Fund .. 1,276 8 6 (',5.023 5 9 New Zealand Comforts Fund .. 50,392 19 9 178,669 19 2 New Zealand War Relief Fund .. 474 11 8 10.455 2 2 For equipment (aeroplanes, ambulances, &o.) .. .. .. .. 1,417 13 9 10,820 18 3 For regimental funds .. .. 1,016 I 0 3,751 Iti (i Foi local war funds .. .. 183 18 5 7,824 4 ti Por sundry oversea funds .. .. 12,249 2 9 13.725 19 I Total voluntary subscriptions .. 279,298 15 7 1,145.919 (i I Government contribution to Belgian Relief Funds .. .. .. .. 228,144 l(i 10 Totals .. .. £279,298 15 7 £1,374,064 211 The cessation of hostilities having rendered the raising of further funds for Red Cross purposes and for trench comforts and gifts for the Oversea Forces unnecessary, notification was made in the New Zealand Gazette of the 6th March revoking and cancelling all existing permits for collecting or raising moneys by the societies dealing with those funds. The only societies now permitted to appeal to the public for funds are those which are actually engaged in the work of direct relief to soldiers and their dependants, and a limited number of organizations catering for the accommodation ol comforts to returned soldiers. At the time the Armistice was signed several appeals were before the public, including the. " Our Day " Red Cross appeal, and although the generous response made to these appeals will tend to maintain the measure of previous years' efforts, the falling-off in contributions to the funds of other Patriotic Societies will result in diminished total contributions for the year. Since the coming into force of the Repatriation Act the operations of the Repatriation Boards have relieved the voluntarily contributed, patriotic funds of a great many calls, and consequently there is not now apparent that willingness on the part of the public to continue their contributions to those funds that has been so noticeable in the past. As was to be expected, the conclusion of the war and the demobilization 1 of the Expeditionary Forces resulted in. the inability of many Patriotic Societies to administer their accumulated funds which had been raised for supplying gift goods and comforts to the men abroad, and as the men returned in increasing numbers the disposition of these special funds became a matter of considerable mportance. At the end of 1918 the funds so accumulated amounted to £157,125. The action taken by the War Funds Office in connection with these funds was to recommend the small auxiliary branches of provincial, societies to forward all money in hand to their respective