"Help The Children" Appeal Launched In Levin

Chronicle (Levin), 8 May 1948, Page 4

"Help The Children" Appeal Launched In Levin

L.e,vin andi district- ha.s been asked: to p?oyi'de-at l'easfc- : ^1,'OOCI for tho. "Help The ChitdTen'; appeal', launched in ihe D.ominion last week. The appeal is- a world-wide one sponsored-b.y the United Nations Organisations, and is the bi'ggest humanitarian efiort ever launched-. Leyin's q,u.o.ta has been arrived^ at on a population basis and the money- will1 be r-aisedi by a direct apr» p>roach to every householder by representatives of various oi> ganis.ationa in the district, . -

This was the'decismn- arrived- at when h representatives of over 27 organisations gathered hi the mfjinicipal, cham^ers on Thursday night in. response »to a call from the Mayor Mr. H. B. Burdekin. Other bodies. sent apelogsies but offers- of assistance in any Rossible. way. The churches were also represented. • . ' i » The target of £1000 was a fairly mo'dest one said Mr. Burdekin, after outlining the need for assisting the[sQheme in every possible way. . He Idfd not think there was a genuine- ; reason why every person should' not■subscribe. There were 40,000,00.0 'children in Europe ih dhe. need of no.urishment and clothing. One could easily imagine what wouL'd occur if nothing was done internationally to help them. " There woutd be absofijtely m> de--ductions from the moneys collected. The Government was paytng afi expenses connected with the»drive and the groes proceeds. would be spent in New Zealand as- far aspossible. The food sent would not be of a nature that would. interfere with other food presently- b.eing sent overseas, food most urgently required in Europe -waS based ori milk products, the • be.st suited for children who had reached such an undernourished state. Politics would not enter into the scheme and- no thought should be given to the fact that some of the children were from past enemy countries. No matter their race, they were children in need ofassist--ance.' They were not responsible for the war. . . • The method of colledtion was the next important point, said Mr. Burdekin. The basis of the apeal was a days wages or profits. from each citizen. A scheme would have to be devised whereby every person would ^ have 'the opportunity- of contributing, without a possibili'ty of any doubling up.

r In this l-espect, he W9ma auggc^ a house to hor^e cofiecfion imwbich ieach of the organisations ceuid be . alloted" an area. This- would hot be difficult as street pfanp for appeals on the same basis were ih ■ihe possesion oi the Borough 'Qomcfi..; i , J He would not suggest any- , hard and fast rules for the organisations, but woui'd suggest that they be left to carry- out the collection.in /the quickest and most practicable way possible to them. The date for the completion of the drive was the end of May- so this would give them a f ortnight ih whiph to w.ork. ' "■ The sehoois: had already started their own collection, and alrea'dy fie had received many ' promises of donations as soon as a district. drlve was made. He was not accepting fhese ofiers hhnself .as.he preferred them to- be. made to the collector in tfie donor's, area. . There would then be no chance of a second approach being made. After- some diseussion it was agreed. that a drive take the part of a house to= house collection, as • suggpsted by the Mayor. As the collection in the country districts would provide problems, it was resoved that these 'be left to the Federated Farmers and the Women's organisations there, and a further meeting of representatives of these. bodfes is being held next Tuesday to complete arrangements. Various. organisations present indicated that they were all ready to start as- soon as- the- plan of their areas' were forthcoming. 4 • It was decided that no businesses .woud be ipcluded in the drive as the employee's- would be included in the house to house campaign. . M'ention was made that some business firms were an^io.us to subscribe, and it- was decided that though these woud be very welcome indeed, no direct approach would be made to business people, as such.