HOMESERVICEMEN IN CONFERENCE

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26511, 28 August 1951, Page 10

HOMESERVICEMEN IN CONFERENCE

ADDRESS BY GOVERNORGENERAL (Neto Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 25. The lack of support the Homeservicetnen’s Association received from its members was a source of regret to all New Zealanders, the GovernorGeneral (Lord Freyberg) told the seventh annual conference of the association to-day. The Patriotic Fund Board and the Canteen Fund Board had a responsibility that ran into the next century, said his Excellency. The peak demand would come in 1980. ana the money had to be there to look after former servicemen at that time. “It is our responsibility to see that the money is not frittered away,” he said. With the passage of time, closer relationship between former service associations might solve many of the common problems. “I followed with sympathy and interest the report of your rehabilitation committee and I think you make out a strong case, said his Excellency. “I am sure many of your members lost opportunities to the same extent as men who served overseas.” Use of Funds

The main problems of the Patriotic Fund Board and the Canteen Fund Board were to decide how the money was to be used. Lord Freyberg said. There were three main uses. Money had to be put aside for helping people who temporarily got into difficulties in the next 15 years, a large sum of money was required to buy, build, or rebuild veterans’ homes all over New Zealand, and money was needed to endow those institutions.

Mr P. J. Allen, representing the Air Force Association, said that membership of his association had also fallen, but it would grow again because present members of the service were eligible to join. The Dominion president of the association (Mr J. Bruce Brown) said that all proposals in the last year for easing priorities operating against certain groups of homeservicemen for rehabilitation assistance had been refused. Perhaps the association’s acceptance of priorities in the past had been unwise. The Government’s decisions had caused disappointment and surprise. Even with present-day prosperity, £lOO.OOO had been distributed from all sources in the last year. That was an indication of the potential drain on those funds if more unfavourable conditions obtained. The association had at present 7200 financial members.

Other speakers were the Mayor of Wellington (Mr R. L. Macalister). the Minister in charge of the State Advances Corporation (Mr J. R. Marshall) representing the Prime Minister (Mr Holland), and Mr C. H. Ritzema, representing the South African War Veterans’ Association.