GOVERNOR'S APPEAL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 503, 10 April 1933, Page 5

GOVERNOR'S APPEAL

RELIEF OF DISTRESS THEIR EXCELLENCIES GIVE VERY VALUABLE LEAD FUND TO BE OPENED Wellington, Sunday. The following official appeal to the people of New Zealand has been issued by the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe. I \ "On the eve of our departure for ; an official visit to the inhabitants of Western Samoa and Rarotonga, Lady Bledisloe and I wish to make ?tn appeal to the generous sympathies of the people of New Zealand. None of : us can feel indifferent to. the proba- : hility that, through economic causes, beyond their control, many people in various parts of the Dominion will he- faced during the coming winter with severe privation and, in some cases, actual want. In spite of Government, municipal and other publicly administered measures for relief and the patriotic and self-sacrific-ing efforts on the part of many philanthropic and charitable organisations, distress still persists. Days of Adversity "These are. days of adversity for all of us, hut to those whose impoverishment is the dirqct result of loss of regular occupation, it is- only natural that the outlook for the winter months should seem dreary and de-. pressing.

The recipients of public relief no doubt include some persons unworthy of benevolent consideration, hut these are relatively few and should not h-e allowed to blind' us to the crying need for generous help during the coming winter. 1 1 The consciousness that it may be difficult effectively to inerease to any material extent the already heayy compulsory burdens imposed upon taxpayers and ratepayers, impels us to appeal with the concurrence of my ministers — to any of those throughout the Dominion whose means (although necessarily curtailed by the present j serious economic stress) will permit | theni to make suitable contributions that they may feel able and disposed to make — in the form of food commodities (such, for example, as sheep and beef cattle, butchers meat, eggs, fish, potatoes and other vegetables, butter, cheese and clothing, including especially material for making new clothes), boots, coal and firewood, free transport, or money — -to a fund to be designated "The Gover-nor-General's Winter Relief Fund." Those to whom we now earnestly appeal do not exclude all members of the farming community who, however serious their present economic plight, have at least on their farms the means of subsidence which are not so easily accessible to many impoverished townspeople. If those who feel wiiling and able to respond to this ■ appeal, would kindly indicate as early as possible the nature and amount of their proposed gifts and (if specially desired, the district to which they are to be allocated), in a letter addressed to "The Secretary, Gov-ernor-General's Winter Relief Fund", Government House, Wellington," a grateful " acknowledgement will be sent by Lady Bledisloe and myself . j Use of Funds In the case of gifts in kind, suggestions will subsequently be made by the distributing authorities as to the date of their delivery, and the addresses to which they should he sent. Monetary donations, or promises of money, may he sent to the secretary on any date convenient to the donors — the earlier the better. It would be appreciated if contributors of produce or other goods who can spread their gifts over a period of three or four months, would indicate the weekly or monthly quan.tities which can be supplied.

Unless they make at the sarne time a request t6 the contrary, it will be assumed that they have no objeetion of their names ia.nd the nature of their contributions being published in the press. In order to avoid ■duplication of efforts and overlapping, which the creation of a separate distributing organisation would involve, it has been decided to utilise the adequate machinery already in existence for distrihution in the various urban centres. Gifj hy Their Excefiencies In the hope that others will follow suit so far as their means permit, her Excellency and I propose by revising our scale of expenditure, to make an initial contribution of £100. to the fund, .as well as twelve fat sheep now grazing on the- Government House paddock at Wellington. *I]his is, admittedly, an unusual appeal, hut the circumstances are unprecedented and >call for an unprecedented effort on the part of every section of the community. It is for this reason that Lady Bledisloe and I feel that we should be failing in our duty if we did not use such effort as may lie in our power to assist that large and growing number of deserving people who, after two years of hope deferred and the lack of means to enjoy on any but the most meagre scale the ordinary amenities of life, are faced with acute mental suffering and severe material discomfort in the struggle to maintain health and physical efficiency.