HEALTH CAMPS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 75, 10 January 1936, Page 3

HEALTH CAMPS

OVER £IO,OOO RAISED. SUCCESS OF STAMP CAMPAIGN. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, January 9. “It was with great satisfaction,” announced the Postmaster-General (the Hon. F. Jones) to-night, “that I received an intimation that the health stamp campaign inaugurated by my department on September 30 achieved within three months its splendid objective of £IO,OOO for the children’s health camps, and that on December 31 the amojint to credit was £10,772. One feature which is particularly gratifying is that during the week ended December 31 no less a sum than £BOO was added to the fund, showing that the children’s health camps were not forgotten during the festive season. Money is still coming in, but it is intended to withdraw the 2d health stamp and the special health covers from sale at the close of post office business on Saturday, January 11. “The campaign, it should be recalled, was commended to the people of New Zealand by bis Excellency. the Governor-General in a national i adio address on September 29. A ceitain amount of preliminary, organisation was undertaken by Mr L. Hooker in an honorary capacity, and the campaign was based on the principle that moneys raised in any of the 48 hospital districts of the Dominion would be expended for the benefit of children coming from those districts. The aim was to set up local committees to administer the funds and to assist in thencollection. Extra Work Undertaken. “The employees of my department readily undertook, on addition to their ordinary duties, This great opportunity for public service, and the 422 postmasters and their siatts throughout the Dominion rendered valuable assistance in the organisation and the work of the local committees which have functioned so effectively in the promotion of tlie campaign for the sale of the health stamps “In addition, a large number of the personnel of tlie Rost and Telegraph Department organised and carried out sales of health stamps at many attractive functions, and the postmen collected a. large sum of money by house-to-house sales of these stamps. “As Postmaster-General I would like to convey the thanks of my department to all those who assisted in the collection of this large sum of money—willing helpers so numerous that one cannot particularise—and I would like to assure all engaged in tins fine effort that I appreciate their generous services.” People’s Generosity. Commenting on his colleague’s statement, 1 the Hon. P. Fraser said, as Minister for Health, “I_ regard the complete success of the Health stamp campaign with gratification, as an indication of the whole-hearted generosity of our people, and as providing an assurance that this valuable welfare work for the children will enjoy greater financial resources than in former years. Every child lias the right to develop under healthful. conditions free from the crippling influences of unsound health, and in promoting this ideal there is a definite place for the children’s health camps, as well as the institutions controlled by the state, the hospital boards, and other bodies. The children who receive benefit are selected by the school medical officers as the most suitable for treatment at the health camps. Tlie voluntary work associated with these camps is a feature of great value, and it is a pleasure as Minister for Health, to know that there are so many kindly and capable people prepared to give • thenservices for the good of these - children, and that the results of thenwork have been so markedly successful.

‘‘l would like, on behalf of the Government, to endorse the appreciative references made by the Post-master-General to the voluntary work so willingly done for the sake of the children by members of the committees throughout the Dominion, and particularly should I mention the- selfsacrificing enthusiasm of the employees of the Post and Telegraph Department who added this service to the manifold duties already required of them in the course of their normal day’s work. That the objective should have been achieved in so short a space of time suggests that there is a thorough appreciation on the part of a generous public to the value of the children’s health camps.”