ACHIEVED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 10 January 1936, Page 6

ACHIEVED

A SPLENDID OBJECTIVE HEALTH STAMP CAMPAIGN POSTMASTERS ENERAL GRATIFIED FINAL ALLOCATIONS (By Telegraph—Special lo “The Mail") WELLINGTON, 9lh January. “It is with great satisfaction,” announced tlie lion. F. Jones, PostmasterGenera], to-night, “That 1 have received an intimation that the Health Stamp Campaign inaugurated by my Department ori 30th September achieved its splendid objective of £IO,OOO for the Children s Health Camps within three months, and that ou the 31st December the amount to credit was £10,772. One 1 cat lire which is particularly gratifying is that during the week ended 3.lst December no less a sum than £BOO was added to the 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 .witlidjraw the 2d Health Stamp and the special Health covers from sale at the close of Post Office business on Saturday lltli January. “The campaign, it should be lecalled, was commended to the people of New Zealand by His Excellency ihe GovernorGeneral in a national radio address on the 29th September. A certain amount of preliminary organisation was Undertaken by Air L. Hooker in an honorary capacity, and the campaign was based on the principle that monies raised in any of the forty-eight hospital districts of the Dominion would be expended for the benefit of children coming from those district. VALUED ASSISTANCE “The aim was to set up local committees to administer Ihe funds, and to assist in their collection. The employees of my Department readily undertook in addition to their ordinary duties this great opportunity for public service, and the 422 postmasters and their staffs throughout the Dominion rendered valuable assistance in the organisation and ihe work of the local committees which have functioned so effectively in the promotion of tils campaign for the sale of the .Health Stamp—‘ld for postage and Id for health.’ In addition a large number of the personnel of the 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 the funds will be expended in accordance with the principles laid down at the commencement of the campaign rests with the Minister of Health (the Hon. PFraser), and all monies collected up till the end of November have been distributed. The final allocations will be made as soo t as the accounts can be completed. “As Postmaster-General 1 would like Lo convey the thanks of my Department to all those who assisted in the collection of this large 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.”

PEOPLE’S GENEROSITY Commenting on his colleague’s statement, the Hon. P. Eraser remarked: “As Minister of Health 1 regard the complete success of the Health Stamp Campaign with gratification as an indication of the whole-hearted generosity of our people, and providing an assurance 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 the Children’s Health Camps, as well as the institutions controlled by the State, the hospital boards and other bodies. The children who receive the benefit are selected by the school medical officers as most suitable for treatment at the Health Camps. The voluntary work associated with these camps is a feature of great value and it is a pleasure to me as Minister of Health to know that there are so many 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 successful. “I would like on behalf of the Government to endorse the appreciative references made by the Postmaster-General to the voluntary work so willingly done for the sake of the children by members of the committees throughout the Dominion, and particularly should I mention the self-sacrificing enthusiasm of the employees ol the Post and lelcgraph Department who added this service to tlie manifold duties already required of them in Lhe course of their normal day s work. That the objective should have been achieved in so short a space of time suggests that there is a thorough appreciation on the part of a generous public of the value of the Children’s Health Camps.”