PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20620, 22 November 1941, Page 6

PATRIOTIC FUNDS

THE YEAR’S BUDGET SICK AND WOUNDED PRISONERS OF WAR * (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. To meet requirements for general patriotic purposes, sick and wounded, and prisoners of war, the National Patriotic Fund Board has budgeted for a total of £752.700 for the year ending September 30, 1942. The budget was submitted to the national conference of patriotic bodies this week and adopted. Under an arrangement made at previous conlerences, the board does not appeal direct to the public for funds. The provincial councils will be responsible for raising all the requirements. Figures given showed that on October 1 the sick and wounded fund stood at £451,500. The total amount required from this account for the current year is £285,500, so that the balance at the end of September will be £160,000. It was decided by the conference that a fairly large sum would be set aside to be used for the post-war care of sick and wounded, the amount to be determined by the National Patriotic Fund Board.

Calls on Fund

It is estimated that in the current year to the end of September 142,200 will be required for comforts for New Zealand forces overseas, £3OOO for grants to regimental funds, £3OOO for mobile canteen stocks, £150,000 as and when required for the relief o! distress in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, £6OOO for recreational comforts in camps in New Zealand, and £102,000 to be allocated as fel-lows:—-Catholic War Services Board, £0000; Salvation Army, £23,000: Church of England Military Affairs Committee, £26,500; Y.M.C.A. £43,000: Navy League, £SOO. Only £IBSO has been budgeted for administration expenses. Other requirements for the general fund are £3OOO for military bands equipment and music, ano £12,500 for contingency funds for use in New Zealand and overseas.

The estimated expenditure from the sick and wounded fund embraces £IB,OOO for comforts for overseas hospitals and hospital ships, imprest accounts of £SOOO and £15,000 respectively for Great Britain and. Egypt, £20,000 to provide grants to overseas organisations for sick, wounded, and distress work, grants totalling £14,0U( for equipment and to provide funds for general hospitals, field ambulances, and hospital ships, and £47.500 for the Joint, Council of the Order of St. John and the New Zealand Red Cross Society for hospital comforts.

Provision has been made in the prisoners of war account for £150,000 to make available 3500 food parcels a week for war prisoners. In addition it is estimated that monthly parcels of cigarettes for prisoners of war will absorb another £14,000. Another amount budgeted for is £2500 to provide prisoners of war with technical and study books. All expenditure from the sick and wounded account and the prisoners of war account will be made by the board in conjunction with the Joint Council of St. John and the Red Cross.