WELFARE SERVICE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 67, 27 April 1943, Page 7

WELFARE SERVICE

TROOPS IN THE PACIFIC

it would take some time, before a welfare service on a satisfactorily efficient and adequate scale coukl he established for the New Zealand troops at New Caledonia, stated Mr Colin Cassels, Y.M.C.A. Director in this area, who was in Wellington recently to discuss policy matters with the Y.M.C.A., Board and the National Patriotic Fund Hoard. Mr Casscls has also been the National Patriotic Fund Board representative at New Caledonia. He said that the reason for the delay was the ship-* ping position, the fact that so much of the supplies had to be imported, plus the fact that materials avcvc lacking in New Caledonia to allow of .suitable, improvisation. During Mr Cassels's visit to Well* ington arrangements 1 were made for over 3000 football jerseys to be sent, 100 complete cricket sets, and. also an additional number of footballs and (50 pairs of boxing gloves. All these, have been ordered and will be paid for by the Patriotic Fund Board, and they will be shipped as soon as they become available, l'rom supplies. Unfortunately, the purchasing of some equipment is out of the question. Hockey sticks, for example? are unprocurable at. pre* sent and linings for the footballs will have to be specially made. Good progress is being made with the construction of the 70 additional battery-operated radio sets tlio Board- has ordered for the troops in the. Pacific. They are nearing completion and will be forwarded short- 1 ly. In an interview, Mr Cassels said that the service being conduct* ed at New Caledonia at. the present time on o£ the. Patriotic? Board was: only of a preliminary nature until additional materials arrived. It was proposed to crcct large bures or native huts to replace the marquees which had been to be. unsatisfactory. During the Christmas season patriotic parcels and cigarcttcs were distributed to all the men stationed on the island, and recently a «ur~. plus supply of i)arcels. was distributed on the basis of one parcel for five men. A further large consignment of patriotic parcels has been forwarded and these would be distributed within the next quarter. Because of the shortage of supplies in New Zealand, it had been sary to restrict issues of writing paper to 15 sheets l a man per month, but arrangements had now been made to increase the issue to 25 sheets.