WELFARE FUNDS

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 August 1946, Page 3

WELFARE FUNDS

PATRIOTIC AND CANTEEN BOARDS ADMINISTRATION ISSUE (P.A.) WELLINGTON, August 1. A suggestion for the future administration of the patriotic' and canteen funds, which, may be found acceptable to the National Patriotic Fund Board, the Returned Services’ Association, and the Home Service•men’s Association, was made at the end of' a long conference between representatives of organisations interested in the matter held under the .chairmanship of Sir William Perry M.L;C, last night. It was that a board consisting of three representatives of the Returned Services’ Association and three of the Home Servicemen’s Association should be set up to administer canteen funds, these six representatives to have sole control of the funds and at the same time be memebrs of a board probably of about 20 members which would control patriotic funds. The same secretariat would serve both boards.

The meeting agreed to the proposal, as a recommendation for discussion, the respective delegations expressing personal opinions in its favour, but saying that a final decision must be made by their organisations. In addition to the representatives mentioned, representatives of the Canteen Fund Board and other organisations attended the meeting, which was held at the instance of the National Patriotic Fund Board after opposition to its proposals for amalgamation of the two funds under one board.

Purpose of Single Fund Sir William Perry said that in advancing the idea of a single fund the National Patriotic Fund Board had been actuated by a desire to save money' and the duplication of effort. It was not a Government proposition.

The secretary of the National Patriotic Fund Board (Mr. G. A. Hayden) said all the money had to be spent on the men, and if the fund was invested at 3 per cent, interest it would be necessary to spend at a rate of about £200,000 yearly, if it was to be done in 40 years, which it was estimated would be the extent of the demand.

Replying to a question by the Dominion vice-president of the R.S.A. (Mr. C. O. Bell), the chairman said a sum of about £lOO,OOO held by the board on account of the Joint Council of the Order of St. John and the Red Cross Society’s Sick and Wounded Fund, would revert to a central fund when it was no longer required.

Mr. Bell explained the attitude of the R.S.A. Dominion conference. It felt the canteen funds were the concern of servicemen alone. They had been raised by servicemen alone, and they felt that servicemen, should control them.

Home Servicemen’s Attitude

On behalf of the Home Servicemen’s Association, its Dominion president (Mr. R. P. Levien) said it was not concerned in any way with what was done with patriotic funds, but it was definitely interested to see that the Canteen Fund was preserved for the use of both overseas and home servicemen.

On the motion of Mr. Bell the meeting unanimously agreed that any decentralisation of the Central Patriotic Fund should be opposed. After further discussion the chairman said he felt that a feasible proposal was a canteen funds administration board of three representatives of each of the servicemen’s organisations working with the larger Patriotic Board, of which they would also be members, with the same secretariat, but with separate trust accounts. The meeting adopted the suggestion for discussion by the organisations concerned.