HEALTH CAMPS.

Evening Star, Issue 25301, 9 October 1944, Page 4

HEALTH CAMPS.

The health of the younger generation is of jital importance if a country is to be strong, therefore the Health Stamp Campaign, launched annually in October, to raise funds to carry on the work of permanent and ■secondary camps throughout the Dominion deserves every commendation., The movement has progressed steadily since the formation of the National Federation of Health Camps in 1936 and the inauguration of the King George V. Memorial Fund Board in 1938. Today, which sees the launching of the 1944 Health Stamp Campaign, two new permanent camps were opened, one at Otaki and the other at Auckland. In Otago we have the Roxburgh camp, where each year more than 220 children receive attention in cases of respiratory troubles, general debility, and convalescence after illness. Children in batches of 56 remain at the camp for approximately three months, and this period is extended where necessary. They are comfortably housed in wellconstructed buildings, and receive schooling at a two-teacher school. In every instance those admitted to Roxburgh have shown considerable improvement, and when the camp period ends the cases are followed up to see that the improvement is maintained. If it is not the children are returned to the camp until their cases are satisfactory, but generally three months are all that are. required. The work of the Roxburgh camp is not well known to the public, many of whom do not realise its permanent nature, tending to confuse it with the short summer camps held during the Christmas vacation. There are Between 20 and 30 summer camps in New Zealand, and all of these receive- funds from the sale of health stamps, which is, indeed, practically the only source of revenue. All money raised in Otago goes towards the care of Otago children,

either at Roxburgh or the various summer camps. Of last rear's record sales of £60.000 worth of health stamps the many health camps received £20,000 among them. The sales probably reflect an increased" public apEreciation of the over-all work, imited amounts of the stamps may be sent abroad, which should assist the campaign this year, and the stamps in themselves are attractive enough to be widely popular. In any event the causo for which they are sold should bo sufficient to send sales soaring.