COMFORTS FOR TROOPS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24530, 12 February 1941, Page 5

COMFORTS FOR TROOPS

AUSTRALIAN SCHEME CO-ORDINATION OF EFFORT £130,000 SPENT IN THREE MONTHS The way in which Australian patriotic affairs are co-ordinated was explained to a Daily Times reporter by Mr J. M. Miller, shipping organiser for the Lord Mayor’s Patriotic and War Fund of New South Wales, in an interview yesterday. All six States supplied comforts to the troops under one scheme controlled by the Australian Comforts Fund, he said, New South Wales contributing 40 per cent, of the goods bought in bulk for sending to camps and troops overseas, Victoria 26 per cent., Queensland 15, South Australia 10, Western Australia 5, and Tasmania 4 per cent., according to population. This method eliminated the undue overlapping that had prevailed when patriotic funds were started in Australia, he said. Commissioners Overseas To ensure that the goods sent by the various States reached their destinations and were distributed to the troops, commissioners of the fund were sent overseas, Mr Miller said. Five represented the New South Wales organisation in the Middle East. They acted in an honorary capacity, as did the majority of the men engaged in administrative patriotic work in New South Wales, and were men of private means. Twelve men, mostly retired from business, and ex-Lord Mayors of Sydney, or retired bankers, formed the administrative staff at the Town Hall, while there was a full-time staff of 15 women engaged in patriotic work. In every military camp throughout the country welfare officers were appointed from the patriotic fund executives. and their first duty was to help friendless soldiers. They co-operated with the commanding officers, and sent requisitions back to the fund administrators. who had to pass them before the necessary goods were forwarded to the welfare officers for distribution. In every case of bulk buying, no fewer than three quotations were received from manufacturers before the executive would purchase. Manufacturers in New South Wales had been very helpful. Administration Costs

At the outset, one of the chief troubles had been that separate parcels had been sent to different units by the various State organisations. On the recommendation of the Lord Mayor’s executive, this had been stopped. Now all goods were packed in bulk and consigned to every unit of the services in Canada, Singapore, or the Middle East. It had been found impossible to send Individual comforts through minor organisations to individual units. Now everything was going like clockwork, and all units were catered for in the same way. It had been found by public auditors that this scheme of co-operation was costing £2.1 per £IOO for administration—the soldiers received approximately £9B of goods for every £IOO contributed by the public. All the goods are packed in a comforts depot by voluntary labour. An instance of the efficient manner in which the work is carried out was given by Mr Miller. In August the executive decided to send every man in the Middle East forces a Christmas hamper. The New South Wales quota was 18.500 parcels. A store was rented and the Ladies’ Golf Council and Union of New South Wales packed all the parcels in two weeks—all the men who participated in the Bardia campaign received a hamper on Christmas Day. At the comforts depot voluntary workers spend their time knitting socks or other garments for the troops. They receive wool bought by the ton by the Lord Mayor’s Fund. The women register for service and are given the wool; when they finish the garments, they return them and receive more wool for the work, which is under the direction of Lady Julius.

Embarkation Kits

Every soldier, sailor or airman receives an embarkation kit distinct from the service issue when he goes overseas, and nurses are similarly assisted. There is a standardised kit for each branch.

Soldiers receive two pairs of socks, a singlet, three handkerchiefs, two cakes of salt-water soap, one of common soap, a pair of bootlaces, a packet of barley sugar, a packet of razor blades, a 4oz tin of tobacco and papers. In addition to these, airmen receive a balaclava, mittens, muffler, and, if going to cold countries, a pullover. Nurses are given a folding camp stretcher, three bath towels. 50 cigarettes, a packet of barley sugar, and three cakes of soap. ’ Some idea of the scope of the work of the Lord Mayor’s Fund, Mr Miller sail, could be gained from the fact that in three months from September, 1939, over £130,000 worth of goods had been sent overseas with troopships, or distributed among the military camps in the district.