TO RELIEVE SUFFERING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 102, 18 December 1939, Page 6

TO RELIEVE SUFFERING

LEPERS' GIFT TO RED CROSS

WORLD'S OUTCASTS REMEMBER

Mr P. -J. Twomey, Hon. Secretary of the Makogai Leper Fund has received a unanimous request from the 619 lepers at Makogai asking that £100 of the money eollected for them in New Zealand be handed to the Red Cross as a token of gratitude for what New Zealand has done to help them. The letter is signed by 12 patients representing the different communities resident on the Island. The medical Superintendent, Dr. G. J. Austin in forwarding on this request said: "I do not know how you will regard their appeal, but I can assure you the patients will be very disappointed if you turn down their request. They are intensely loyal and are eagerly following the news over the air and in the papers. They are now hoping that you will give them the opportunity of feeling that they are contributiag in a small way to

the necessities of the Empire, and they would rather join in the New Zealand effort in this direction as a gesture of appreciation of the generosity of the New Zealand people.

"I do not think that this offer 01 theirs will prejudice the success of future appeals—rather the reverse. It would be a very ungenerous criticism to suggest that it is evident that tihe patients have more money than they need and I cannot think that your subscribers would object {•> ihe pa lien Is using Mie nvmiy : n I v. ; y. .v- lo deprive .1 iie pn'.iM'is <;(' their happiness and pride ni being one •with I lie New Zealander* !in this gift."