CANTEEN FUNDS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 144, 21 June 1933, Page 14

CANTEEN FUNDS

FOR RELIEF OF DISTRESS EX-SOLDIERS' VIEWS ! The recommendation' of Hie unemployment committee that £23,000 of the Canteen Fund be made available for tho relief of unemployed soldiers was carried by a largo majority- at the annual meeting of tho New Zealand Keturned Soldiers' Association last .night. It was stated {-hat cases of distress amongst ex-soldiers were frequent. Thero were 9818 registered, unemployed in Auckland, over 25 per cent, of whom wcro soldiers, and 600 unemployed exsoldiers in Christchurch. Tho following resolution was earvied: "That'in view of the increasing number of unemployed returned soldiers who are living in circumstances of diro poverty and distress, the.Canteen Funds ' Board' bo requested to make a sum of £25,000 availablo for tho relief of unemployed • returned soldiers during tho ensuing twclvo months," ' Tho fund, it was urged, could be built up again when conditions became more stabilised, whereas this was a timo of diro distress. . . Mr. B. J. .Jacobs (Palmcrston North) pointed out that the board were merely trustees, and their duty was clearly on the lines, of the resolution. Mr. W. E. Leadley said that after meeting commitments the fund would still contain . £183,000 next February. Surely tho resolution was in order. Mr. J. D. Harper (Wellington) did not support tho resolution, urging that tho country was looking after the unemployed generally, as well as after ex-soldiers. When tho money would bo most urgently needed,, owing to increased disability of tho eicu in a year or two, there would perhaps not be the samo amount of relief being afforded, as things might have improved so much that tho samo .extent of genoral relief would not be given. If there wero to be any drawing, let it; bo on the patriotic funds. They- wore already eating into the- capital of the Canteen Funds —("No! No!") —and ho thought it should be conserved as rigorously as possible. / ■ . Mr. N; H. Colq'uhoun (Oamaru) said this was not capital,- but an accumulated fund. He. thought.it , should bo released to relievo dire distress. Mr. P. S. Anderson (Dunediu) spoko of tho nocd'for the relief Of distress at tho moment. Conservation could be overdone. There was no sense in keeping a fund until those, it was collected to benefit were dead. He believed that if the lines of the Canteen Funds Board were followed in regard to patriotic funds, tho beneficial effect would be widely felt. . .