WHAT THEY BUY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 72, 1 July 1942, Page 6

WHAT THEY BUY

PATRIOTIC FUNDS EXPENDITURE OF £158,914 To make adequate provision from this country for New Zealand prisoners of war, avlio now total over GOOO, it has been necessary to draw heavilj r on the patriotic funds during the past fcA\* months. A statement placed before a meeting of the National Patriotic Fund Board last week showed that to meet requirements from October, 1941, to the end of May this year it had been necessary to overdraw the prisoners of war account by £-14,578, this additional sum having had to be provided from the general funds. At the end of May the board's net credit balance Avas £38,203, but at that date £654,520 was owing by provincial patriotic councils on their budget quotas for the current year, the total being made up as follows: General, £217,151; sick and wounded, £50,439; prisoners of Avar, £130,930; supplementary, £250,000. Since the end of May the total had been reduced somewhat by payments received from provincial councils.

Purchases of wool made during the eight months on behalf of pro vincial councils, which reimburse | the Board, amounted to £23,022. Im- . prests remitted to Egypt for the New Zealand forces amounted tc £13,942; to England, £40,000: to Fiji £7334; and to Canada, £1708. In adj dition, approximately £19,000 was spent on comforts for New Zealanders in these four theatres of war, plus the expenditure of a further £57,639, in the case of the men in the Middle East, for stock for the New Zealand Forces Club in Cairo, and £7500 for stock for mobile and other canteens.: The proceeds of the sale of stock are also made available for the benefit of the forces through the board's commissioner, in lieu of additional remittances from New Zealand. To enable them to carry out their welfare work on behalf of the Board, the Y.M.G.A. received £50,000; the Church of England Military Affairs Committee £22,000; the Salvation Army £16.000; the Catholic War Services Fund Board £11,205; and the •Navy League £200. To meet additional requirements arising from the calling up of more men for home defence duty, £3813 •-vas spent on recreation institutions and £331 on marquees. Another £33,000 will be required to cover the cost of contracts that have been let for institutions. Grants of £5076 out of the gen- . oral funds and £3750 out of the Sick and Wounded Fund were made to overseas organisations for the relief of distress. The total payments made in the eight months under review serve to Indicate the wide service being giv-< en and the need for substantial funds. The payments under their several headings Averei General, £318.105; sick and wounded, £61,951; prisoners of war. £78.858— total', £458,914.