HOW THE MONEY GOES

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 85, 7 October 1940, Page 8

HOW THE MONEY GOES

COMFORTS FOR TROOPS

MEN OF THE FIRST ECHELON

REPORT FROM EGYPT

A dispatch' from Cairo by the New Zealand Official , News Service recently described the pleasure which gift parcels sent by the National Patriotic Fund Board gave the men of the First Echelon of the N.Z.E.FI and'also their surprise and delight at the nature of the contents. These goods had not long arrived when Mr. Victor C. Jones, who has acted as the board's representative in Egypt, sent his last report to the board under date of-September 6. [The report received here last-week mentioned that the-New Zealand troops I had taken the field. The fruit cake, I the gift of generous Wellington benefactors, he stated, would go to the desert, the malt extract to the: hospital, and the gift parcels would be sent both to Maadi and the desert The gifts, Mr. Jones added, were looked forward to with eagerness by the men and officers alike. GRANTS TO UNITS. . Grants from patriotic funds have also been made to each of the units. | Referring to this, Mr. Jones says: "We | have made a distribution of money to ' all units of the, first contingent on the b^is of 5s sterling per head. It has been specifically stated what the money can be spent on—-fresh fruit and vegetables, cigarettes, reading materials, radios, recreational gear. This money will be paid to the credit of unit accounts through the base paymaster. We have affirmed the principle that where a unit is small in numbers special consideration will be given to any request they might make for essential facilities for their men. C.O.s have been asked to co-opt representatives from the units who will decide what the expenditure will be made on." These grants alone ate into the funds held by Mr. Jones on. the National Patriotic Fund Board's behalf to the extent of £1600.

There* have been other substantial payments from-these funds, • and they illustrate the cost involved in providing comforts for a large body of men. and the need for substantial public support in this country to.enable the board to fulfil its responsibilities to the men overseas. Mr. Jones's report mentions, for example, that approxi* mately £300 went for freight on'gift goods, £300 for a new mobile unit, and £130 for cool drinks for unit picnics.

CIGARETTES AND COOL. DRINKS.

"You will be interested to hear," the report continues, "that since we arrived here 150,000 cigarettes have beeii distributed to the sick in hospital, .and 26,400 bottles of cool drink have beea given to units for their picnics which were promoted by division: sightseeing transportation has been given td over 600 convalescents: four additional radios have been purchased and sent to the desert; a gift comprising toilet articles^ and other goods was placed on board the ship bringing back discharged men; a gift for each man. also £100 was advanced* to. O.C.- troops •■ on this ship for entertainment while ,ia port en route, and there have .also been a lot of small items."

Mr. Jones, who before he left witli the First Echelon was general secre« tary of the Wellington V.M.C.A., is na longer acting as the National Patriotic Fund Board's representative owing to his haying received -an appointment with the British Army. Mr. F. E. S. Long, another V.M.C.A. officer, is acting in his stead.