APATHY CHARGE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22439, 20 September 1947, Page 3

APATHY CHARGE

PHYSICAL WELFARE LOCAL COMMITTEES “FELL DOWN ON JOBS' 1 (P.R.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 20. Disappointment that the National Council of Physical Welfare had not met since 1939 was expressed by Mr. D. M. Rae (Oppos., Parnell) in the House of Representatives yesterday. According to the Physical Welfare Act the council must meet at least once a year, said Mr. Rae. All the official information he could get was that only a lev/ of the local committees were now operating compared with a large number during the war years. The ideal expressed in the legislation was, declared Mr. Rae, in no way being sustained despite the high hopes and enthusiasm of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. W. E. Parry, who seemed to be the only authority for the distribution of- grants last year totalling £36,440. Although there were 231 local committees in 1940, they were falling away in enthusiasm and in numbers. It would be preferable to hand over the operations to the Education Department, which had its specialised staff. The schools could be used as community centres in the evenings. The Minister of Internal Affairs replied that much of what the member for_ Parnell had said was true, but the difficulty was that six years ago all the physical welfare officers were taken away for Army training and the reason why the national council had not been called together was the condition of the country during the war. He had been very disappointed over the local committees. for he had never experienced so much indifference on the part of most of them.

“They just simply fell down on their jobs,” commented Mr. Parry, adding that he had to except some committees. There were local bodies which did splendid work in assisting the movement, and he would include members of the Opposition among those who had been helpful. It had been said that £40,000 was a lot of money for a Minister to play with, but he assured the House that no grant was authorised without a prior investigation by his officers and knowledge of specific purposes. Organisations had also to show that they were permanent and had a future programme. Tho £40,000 expenditure had encouraged organisations themselves to raise £IOO,OOO. which would probably not have been secured but for the grants.