KING GEORGE V. MEMORIAL

Evening Star, Issue 22618, 9 April 1937, Page 14

KING GEORGE V. MEMORIAL

MEETING OF LOCAL COMMITTEE Methods of obtaining further subscriptions for . the King George V. Memorial Fund were discussed at a meeting yesterday afternoon called by the mayor (the Rev. E. T. Cox), who presided. Although several large sums had been received from both Otago and Southland some time ago, no further contributions had been forthcoming, and it was with the view of arousing public interest that the meeting had been called, said the mayor. There was no, need to stress the importance of the King George Memorial Fund, he continued, and the necessity for ootaining the amount allocated to the Otago district to collect. The object of the fund in establishing two permanent health camps in both islands was very fitting. The Government had set £IOO,OOO as the object, of which £25,000 would be given by it, and when, by public, effort and private subscriptions, the fund reached £50,000, the Government would then subsidise all further contributions £ for £ An excellent start to the fund in Otago had been made by the Dunedin Savings Bank, which had contributed £SOO, the Dunedin City Council, who had given £IOO, and a medical practitioner £SO, while it was reported that two large donations had also been made in Southland. If sufficient sums were available to establish the Otago and Southland camp, it had been recommended by the Provincial Council (which included both Otago and Southland) that the camp be established in Central Otago. It was not intended to do away with present health camps, said the mayor. Mr N. R. M‘lsaac stated that the question of staffing the camp with nurses and teachers would probably be met by the Government. _ The new camp would not interfere with present local voluntary health camps, which had a child in residence for only three or four weeks, while it was proposed that the new camps should take children and keep them until healthy again. On the motion of Mr R. Bennell, it was decided to form those present into a committee, and to take all possible steps to set out, particularly, the national character of the proposed memorial. It was agreed that the appeal should in the first place at least be for voluntary subscriptions, without canvassing.