MONEY FOR HOME GUARD

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23301, 10 April 1941, Page 4

MONEY FOR HOME GUARD

CAPITATION GRANT (P A) WELLINGTON, April 9. After the recent statement made by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon, U. Fraser) the Minister for National Seivice (the Hon. R. Semple) to-day announced that the Government had agreed to make a capitation grant as a subsidy towards the establishment and maintenance expenses of units or the Home Guard. “The Government- has agreed to meet all expenditure down to and including area headquarters establishments,” said Mr Semple, “and it has also agreed to assist units by wav of a capitation grant. The grant will be based on the number of men in each area who attend a minimum of 75 per cent, of scheduled parades each quarter. and will be at the rate of two shillings a man for the period ended December 31, 1940, and thereafter at the rate of one shilling a man a quarter * “The funds thus being made available are intended to assist units to meet, such expenses as the cost of transport, rental of halls, lighting of parade grounds, stationery, and other such incidental expenses. “Generally speaking, it is considered that the grant should be sufficient for the purposes stated, but where the individual units require additional funds, it is expected that local bodies will provide them,” he added. "The method of allocation and distribution of the grant is now being formulated and very shortly all concerned will be advised of the procedure and the amounts due up to the end of March will be made available to individual units.”