AID FOR WAR PRISONERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 March 1943, Page 2

AID FOR WAR PRISONERS

CALL ON PATRIOTIC FUNDS. To clear up misconceptions which still appear to exist in regard to aid for prisoners of war, the Mayor (Mr T. Jordan), who is chairman of the National Advisory Council and was chairman of the conference of the National Fund Board, National Advisory Board, and the various provincial patriotic boards held in November last, when the budget for the Patriotic Fund for this year was mentioned and approved, has made the following statement:— “The most important difference this year with regard to prisoners of war is the announcement of War Cabinet’s approval of a grant to the board of £340,500, of which £337,000 is to meet the estimated cost of supplying food parcels to New Zealand prisoners of war and the balance of £3,500 for the censoring of next-of-kin parcels. “Although the Government grant affords a substantial measure of relief to the national fund and to the provincial councils charged with the responsibility of finding the money, it will still be necessary to provide £108,750 out of patriotic funds this year in respect to prisoners of war. This sum is made up as follows: Monthly issue of 200 cigarettes to each prisoner, £38,000; technical books, £2,500; maintenance of prisoner of war inquiry offices in New Zealand and supplementing of next-of-kin parcels, £16,250; parcels sent from the United Kingdom as soon as men are notified as prisoners, £18.000; service by the Canadian Red Cross la;t year in sending parcels to New Zealand prisoners until parcels from New Zealand began to arrive in a steady flow, £40,000. “It is of interest to note, in respect of the technical books supplied, that three of our prisoners have been permitted to sit for and have passed technical examinations.”