PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 78, 15 July 1942, Page 5

PATRIOTIC FUNDS

ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT

ALL 'HUTS' FINANCED

The recent letter appearing in these columns from a local man now serving in the Middle Eiast, and complaining of the paucity ■ of benefit received by front line ' men from the Patriotic fund, Iras' caused considerable comment. As a direct result, Mr J. L. Burnett, chairman of the County Zone Committee, has made a statement regarding the allocation of fund's, which he says he hopes will go a long way towards explaining the position. Mr Burnett states that with the exception of the Lowry Hut, all Church Army huts and the Y.M.C.A. • Canteens are financed from the Patriotic funds, the monej T from which is devoted to erecting and stocking the establishments. In most instances the padres of the various denominations preside over the organisations. necessary but nothing more. The Overseas Club, mentioned by our correspondent, was founded by the Patriotic fund, but as it became self-supporting finance became no longer necessary. With regard to the delivery of parcels, this work had been faccfd with some difficulty at first owing to transport space, but now arrangements had been completed lor shipping the parcels in boxes which would fit anywhere in a A-essel bound for the front. The method of distribution had also been overhauled and now every effort was made to reach the men who were actually serving in the danger zone. For this purpose the National Patriotic Fund had financed the mobile icecream units which avctc so much appreciated in Libya. .* Free Cigarettes The question of free cigarettes " was mentioned by Mr Burnett, who said that large quantities of tobacco were regularly being sent .abroad • and distributed whenever possible. Some idea of the extent of the Funds service may be guaged from the fact that the organisation is now practically world wide haying depots wherever New Zealand troops are serving—England, JFiji, Canada, Scotland, Egypt, Syria, Australia and elsewhere. Even the. naval and mercantile marine personnel are not overlooked. Total of 316 Workers The expending agents are all Y.M.C.A., Church Army (N.Z.), -Salvation Army (N.Z.) and Catholic War Services (N.Z.) organisations/ A total of 316 paid workers •.are employed and every recreation liut or marquee in camps in New Zealand and overseas has been built, .furnished and maintained from Patriotic funds. Writing paper and envelopes issued by these agents alone •cost the Board £40,000 a year. Cafeterias arc equipped by the Board, return profits being paid into the rßoard's funds. Approximately 200 huts and marquees in this country - and overseas are now being maintained by the Board. Isolated Instances l Mr Burnett states that though there must be isolated oversights, the work on the main is fulfilling in every respect its objectives as far as humanly possible and complaints by men overseas who may in all innocence broadcast their own v individual experiences are now more the exception than the general at- ' titude of the men. They were in effect doing themselves a dis-service by providing grounds for people to refuse' their ■ contributions to the fund, thereby making it impossible to send the . maximum benefit overseas.