UNLIMITED SUM

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21227, 25 September 1940, Page 9

UNLIMITED SUM

FOR LONDON DISTRESS PATRIOTIC COLLECTIONS QUESTION OF REHABILITATION Deprecating the degree of opposition which he said was facing the patriotic fund appeal because of the association with it of a certain amount of work for the rehabilitation of soldiers, the Mayor of Hamilton. Mr H. D. Caro, chairman of the Waikato Zone Patriotic Committee, gave an assurance, when speaking at a meeting of the committee in Hamilton yesterday, that there was no limit to the amount of money which would be forwarded from New Zealand to assist air raid distress in London. The extent to which London required the Empire’s assistance, he added, was indicated by the fact that already Auckland alone was shipping 130 tons of clothing for London refugees. The decision to send £IOO,OOO to London was only a start, Mr Caro went on. In fact, that money was away within ten minutes of its being authorised. Much more would be required. Amacs On Eve of Battle “Do you realise,” added Mr Caro, “that within a day or two our own troops will probably be in action? Here we are quibbling over whether we ought to support this appeal and our own blood is on the eve of action. We have to give. “When our boys come back wounded they will need little comforts and assistance when they come out of hospital, which the Government cannot give them. That is the work which will have to be done from rehabilitation funds from the patriotic collections. The major work will still be the Government’s responsibility. “We must go back to the zones with the idea that this money will be found whatever happens. If we fail then the Government will simply take It from us.

“We may yet have to give every penny raised to alleviate distress in London,” added Mr Caro, in stating that it was not yet possible to say what percentage of the money raised would be used for rehabilitation.

“There appears to be a feeling of mistrust that if we raise a great deal of money from this appeal, the Government will be excused from its responsibilities,” declared Mr T. G. Reynolds. “It has yet to be revealed that our Government today has any inclination to dodge its responsibilities toward men coming back from the war. Furthermore, public opinion would not enable a Government to have the audacity to escape its duties of rehabilitating exservicemen.” Public Apathy? Previous to the explanation by Mr Caro, members of the committee had expressed doubt whether the public would accord the campaign to raise patriotic funds full when rehabilitation was associated with it. In outlining a proposal for organising the queen carnival to be held to raise funds in the Waikato, Mr C. G. Hunt stated that there appeared to be some opposition. There were many people who considered that rehabilitation should be the sole responsibility of the Government. He said people giving to assist Londoners wanted to know, definitely, that it would go to London. They wanted to know also the Government’s policy regarding rehabilitation. Mr R. Coulter, Mayor of Te Aroha, stated that the public was anxious to know just how the funds were going to be spent and what authority for spending was vested in patriotic "committees. Stating that the funds were for the relief of distress in London and the rehabilitation of New Zealand soldiers and other purposes associated with these, Mr W. L. Waddel, Town Clerk of Hamilton, said each inter-zone committee had been asked to appoint a sub-committee which would be authorised to spend up to £2O on rehabilitation purposes without reference to the patriotic council. Apart from that there was authority to spend money on providing comforts for the troops in camps and that had already been done in the Waikato. Government’s Silence Regarding the distribution for various purposes of the fund, Mr Caro said he considered it was the responsibility of the Government and not of the patriotic committees to define the extent of rehabilitation. The National Patriotic Committee had asked the Government some time ago to define a policy regarding rehabilitation but no reply was received.

Mr G. Spinley, Mayor of Te Awamutu, expressed the opinion that people would give freely if they considered the entire patriotic collection was for the alleviation of distress in London. Mr Waddel said the Provincial Patriotic Council had stated that if people gave donations specifically for distress in London they would be earmarked for that purpose. He could not understand the antagonism encountered in this patriotic appeal. As far as rehabilitation was concerned, the Provincial Council considered it was the prime responsibility of the Government and the patriotic funds were only to assist to bridge the gap between a soldier’s return to the Dominion and his rehabilitation. “If we sit back and say rehabilitation is altogether the Government’s responsibility,” he added, “we are not doing the fair thing by those men who are going away to fight for us.”