Health Stamp Campaign

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 9, 11 January 1936, Page 2

Health Stamp Campaign

MINISTER’S GRATIFICATION AT RESULT.

Per Press Association;

WELLINGTON, Jan. 10

“It is with great satisfaction,” announced the Postmaster-Genoral, Hon. F. Jones, last night, “that 1 received an intimation that the Health Stamp campaign inaugurated by my Department on September 30tk, achieved its splendid objective of £IO,OOO for the children’s health camps within three months, and that on 01st December the amount to credit was £10,772. “One feature which is particularly gratifying is that during the week ended 31st December, no less a sum than £BOO was added to th e fund, showing that the children’s health camps were not forgotten during the festive season. Money is still coming in, but it is intended to withdraw the 2d health stamp and the special health covers from sale at the close of Post Office business on Saturday, 11th January. The campaign, it should bo recalled, was commended to the people of New Zealand by His Excellency the Gover-nor-General, Lord Galway, in a national radio address on the 29th September. “A certain amount of preliminary organisation was undertaken by Mr. L. O. Hooker, in an honorary capacity, and the campaign was based on the principle that moneys raised in any of the forty-eight hospital districts of the Dominion would be expended for the benelit of children coming from those districts. The aim was to set ,up local committees to administer the funds and to assist in their collection. The employees of my Department readily undertook, in addition to their ordinary dut.es, this great opportunity for public service and the 422 postmasters and their staffs throughout tho Dominion rendered valuable assistance in the organisation and tho work of tho local committees, which have functioned so effectively in the promotion of the campaign for tho sale of the health stamp —‘Id for postage and Id for health.’ In addition a large number of tho personnel of tho Postal Department organised and carried out sales of health stamps at many attractive functions and the postmen collected a large sum of money by house to house sales of these stamps.

“The responsibility of approving the local committees, by whom funds will be expended in accordance with the principles laid down at the commencement of the. campaign, rests with tho Minister of Health (the Hon. P. Fraser), and all moneys collected up till the end of November have been distributed. Tho final allocations will be made as soon as the accounts can bo completed. “As Postmaster-General, I ivould like to convey the thanks of my Department to all those who assisted ip. the collection of this largo sum of money, willing helpers so numerous that one cannot particularise/ and I would like to assure all engaged in this fine effort that I appreciate their generous services.”

Comment by Minister of Health.

'WELLINGTON, Jan. 10,

Commenting on liis colleague’s statement, Hon P. Eraser remarked: "As Minister of Health I regard tho complete success of.tho health stamp campaign with gratiiication, as an indication of tho whole-hearted generosity of our people and pn-oviding an assuranco that this valuable welfare work for the children will enjoy greater financial resources than in past years. . Every child has the right to develop} under healthful conditions, free from the crippling influences of unsound health, and in promoting this ideal there is a definite place for tho children’s health camps. As well as the institutions controlled by the State, the hospital boards and other bodies, the children who receive benefit are selected by the school medical officers as most suitablo for treatment at the health camps, fl'ho voluntary work associated with these camps is a featuro of great value and it is a pleasure to me as Minister of Health to know that there are so many 1 kindly and capable people prepared to give their services for the good of these children, and that the results of their work have been so markedly sue- : cessful.

"I would like, on behalf of the Government, to endorse the appreciative references made by the PostmasterGeneral to tho voluntary work so willingly dono for the sake of the children by members of tho committees throughout tho Dominion, and particularly should I mention tho selfsacrificing enthusiasm of the employees of the Post and Telegraph Department, who added this service to tho manifold duties already reepuired of them in the course of their normal day’s work. That tho objective should have been achieved in so short a space of time suggests that there is a thorough appre-

ciation on the part of a generous public, of the value . of the children’s health camps.”