£18,772 COLLECTED

Evening Star, Issue 22233, 10 January 1936, Page 9

£18,772 COLLECTED

HEALTH STAMP CAMPAIGN MINISTER’S CONGRATULATIONS [Special to the * Star.’] * WELLINGTON, .January 9. “ It is with great satisfaction,” announced the Postmaster-General (Hon. F. Jones) to-night, “ that I have received an intimation that the health stamp campaign inaugurated by my department on September 30 achieved its splendid objective of £IO,OOO for the children’s health camps within three months, and that on December 31 the amount to the credit of the fund was £10,772. One feature which is particularly gratifying is that during the week ended December 31 no less a sum than £BOO was added to the fund, showing that the children’s health camps were not forgotten during the festive season. Money is still coming in, but it is intended to withdraw the 2d health stamp and the special health covers from sale at the close of Post Office business on Saturday, January 11.” The campaign, it should be recalled, was commended to the people of New Zealand by the Governor-General (Viscount Galway) in a national radio address on September 29. A certain amount of preliminary organisation was undertaken by Mr L. Hooker in an honorary capacity, and the campaign was based on tlie principle that_ moneys raised in any of the 48 hospital districts of the Dominion would be expended for the benefit of children coming from those districts. The aim was to set up local committees to administer the funds and to- assist in their collection.

“ The employees of my department.” Mr Jones stated “ readily undertook in addition to their ordinary duties, this great opportunity for pnhlie service, and the 422 postmasters and their staffs throughout the Dominion rendered valuable assistance in the organisation and in the work of the local committees which have functioned so effectively in the promotion of tho campaign for the sale of the health stamp—‘ld for postage and Id for health.’ In addition, a large number of tlie personnel of the Postal Department, organised and carried out sales of health stamps at many attractive functions, and the postmen collected a large sum of money by house-to-house sales of these stamps. ” The responsibility of approving the local committees, by whom the funds will be expended in accordance with the principles laid down at the commencement of the campaign, rests with the Minister of Health (Air Fraser*), and all moneys collected up till the end of November have been distributed. The final allocations will be made as soon as tho accounts can be completed. As Postmaster-General, I would like to convey the thanks of my department to all those who assisted in the collection of this large sum of money—willing helpers so numerous that one cannot particularise—and I would like to assure all engaged in this fine effort that T appreciate their generous services.”

Commenting on his colleague’s statement. Mr Fraser said: “ As Minister of Health. T regard the complete success of the health stamp campaign with gratification as an indication of the whole-hearted generosity of our people, and providing an assurance that -this valuable welfare work for the children will enjoy greater financial resources

than in past years. Every child has the right to develop under Healthful conditions, free from the crippling inHuences of unsound health, and, in promoting this ideal, there is a definite place for the children’s health camps as well as the institutions controlled by the State, the hospital boards, and other bodies. The children who receive benefit are selected by the school medical officers as most suitable for treatment at the health camps. The voluntary work associated with these camps is a feature of great value, and it is a pleasure to me as Minister of Health to know that there are so many kindly and capable people prepared to give their services for the good of these children, and that the results of their work have been so markedly successful. I would like, on behalf of the Government, to endorse the appreciative references made by the PostmasterGeneral to the voluntary work so willingly done for the sake of the _ children by members of the committees throughout the Dominion, and particularly should I mention the selfsacrificing enthusiasm of the employees of the Post and Telegraph Department, who added this service to the manifold duties already required of them in the course of their normal day’s work. That the objective should have been achieved in so short a space of time suggests that there is a thorough appreciation on the part of a generous public of the value of the children’s health camps.”