Community service grants

Press, 18 August 1978, Page 12

Community service grants

Sir, — I understand the community service grants sub-committee, of the Christchurch City Council intends to give $4OO to S.O.S. While I realise that such a small amount would not go very far, it is still ratepayers’ money, and I for one am very much against my money being used for this purpose. — Yours, etc., G. L. SMALI (Mrs). August 16, 1978.

Sir, — Of all the organisations to which the City Council could make grants surely S.O.S. must be the most unworthy. How can Mrs Wilkinson (August 16) endorse such a grant when she is resident in another local body area? Nobody grudges support to genuine charitable organis- ’ions but S.O.S. does not come within this category. While espousing freedom of choice for pregnant women the ratepayer may also like to choose whether a portion of his or her contribution to the local authority concerned should be given to an organisation with which they totally disagree. — Yours, etc., S. M. WELLS. August 16, 1978. Sir, — Mrs Pat Wilkinson cannot be really serious about encouraging the Christchurch City Council to give $4OO of its community service grant to S.O.S. This organisation has been formed to skirt New Zealand law, to take New Zealand women and their unprotected, unborn children to New South Wales, to hygienicaliy sub-standard abortion clinics run for profit. All this in a state where there is one abortion perfo'med to every three live births. Is this what Mrs Wilkinson calls a realistic abortion situation, in line with the people’s wishes? Do.we really want Christchurch city ratepayers’ money used to support an organisation such a 5.0.5.? By their action the council would be condoning the activities of a group which is extreme to say the least, in its proabortion views. — Yours, P. A. WILLIAMS. August 17, 1978.