CHILDREN FROM BRITAIN

Southland Times, Issue 24242, 27 September 1940, Page 6

CHILDREN FROM BRITAIN

APPEAL TO PROVIDE HOMES SUFFICIENT OFFERED IN SOUTHLAND “So far as Southland is concerned we are not at all exercised about the matter,” said the Deputy-Mayor of Invercargill (Mr J. R. Martin) yesterday, when his attention was drawn to the fact that recently the Mayor of Dunedin (Mi- A. H. Allen) had appealed for more persons to offer to provide homes for evacuated British children. Mr Martin added that so far no official information had been received about the number of children who were likely to be coming, or when they would arrive. They therefore did not know what Southland’s quota would be, but it was considered that sufficient persons had offered homes to provide for the number of children likely to be sent to Southland. The reception committee had made an estimate of the Southland quota based on such information as was available.

The child welfare officer, Mr R. H. Donaldson, said that at the moment they could provide for between 200 and 300 children in Southland. In fact, the response in Southland had been very fine, and although he had no information about the number of children likely to come to New Zealand or when they would arrive, they probably had sufficient homes, so far as Southland was concerned, in the meantime. However, if there were any persons who were prepared to take children but had not yet signified their willingness to do so, they would be pleased to receive applications from them. These applications should be made to the Invercargill City Council offices.