Financial Problems

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30846, 3 September 1965, Page 2

Financial Problems

One of the reasons Siri Truby King gave up his job in a bank was his dislike of i the overdraft system. Yet the Plunket Society operated on the same system, Mrs T. L. Crooks, of Ashburton, told the society’s provincial conference yesterday. She recommended that a committee be established to investigate ways of raising money, that both the number and value of subscriptions be increased and that mothers be asked to contribute more money. This was approved. The society received only about an eighth of the money it needed to function from those sources, said Mrs Crooks. Subscriptions had remained the same for 30 years. Another delegate said it was time the society adopted a realistic and businesslike approach to its financial problems and stripped itself of sentimentality. Many branches were in financial difficulty. The society was not entirely subsidised by the Government It depended on public contributions.

Mrs H. Ryburn said there were two recent occasions when members failed to take advantage of opportunities to raise money. One was the recent mother-and-baby photograph competition, held by a food concern, which gave 2s 6d to the society for every photograph entered. There were more than 60,000 eligible babies in New Zealand but

only about 2500 entries had been received.

The second was the raffle held to raise funds for the society’s Dominion headquarters. Branch support had been poor. The completion of the project would have ultimately reduced branch levies and cut their running costs. She said the society was a personal scheme, and small personal groups were usually financially sound. Quicklygrowing areas, especially in the North Island, were increasing their branches as the need arose.

The conference was opened by Mr J. Y. Pethig, chairman of the Halswell County Council, who suggested that the society could help to cut its costs by building Plunket rooms in areas administered by domain boards or on councils’ reserve lands. Such rooms could be moved as they were needed to the rapidly-growing areas. He said domain board areas would be better, as branches would not have to pay rates. An agreement could be made that the rooms remained the property of the society and could be moved at any time. About 300 delegates from 14 branches and sub-branches attended the conference. They were welcomed by the president of the Springs-Ellesmere branch (Mrs E. J. Hall).

The conference re-elected Mesdames Peryer, G. H. Grigg (Hororata) and J. D. Wraight (Timaru) as its representatives on the Dominion council.