CONVALESCENT HOME

Southland Times, Issue 18852, 18 June 1920, Page 5

CONVALESCENT HOME

DECISION OF FUTURE POLICY. MEETING TO BE HELD NEXT MONTH. I In the course of his presidential remarks at the annual meeting of the War Funds Association yesterday Mr H. W. Rnyds referred to the question of closing the Convalescent Home. It was a matter for congratulation, he said, that its purpose had seemingly been served so soon. When the Red Cross Society had finished with the Home it would revert to the Association which would realise on it, paying the money into the Soldiers’ and Dependants’ Fund. A meeting on July 3 will decide whether the Home shall be kept for cases which some think are likely to crop up from time to time, or be finally closed. There are at present no patients in it. At the last meeting of the Society it was decided to ascertain from (he Department of Internal Affairs (li Whether the funds in the hands of the Society could be used for re-opening the Convalescent Home, although no assistance was forthcoming from the Defence Department; and (2' whether tiio Society could use its funds to pay for the .-upport of convalescing soldiers in the Hostel if the present Home were sold to the Y.M.C.A. as a Hostel. The answer to the first was not considered satisfactory, inasmuch as the Department reply lhat (he Red Cross executive (which it is presumed is in Wellington) "do not approve of sole maintenance of homes for convalescent or chronic cases,” and the Department suggests that as .-oldiers who are such cases arc receiving pensions and should pay part towards their keep, no objection would be raised to the Society paying any balance required to keep the Home going. The answer to the second question is that no difficulty will arise over payments made for that purpose. The Society requests that each branch will discuss the foregoing and send a delegate to the next meeting.