PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27567, 8 December 1950, Page 6

PATRIOTIC FUNDS

Governor-General Urges Close Study PROVISION FOR FUTURE Special to the Daily Times 4 OAMARU, Dec. 7. “This is not an easy job and I recommend members of the RSA to look closely, into the problem before passing a hasty opinion,” said the Gov-ernor-General, Sir Bernard Freyberg, referring to the disposal of patriotic funds. Sir Bernard, who was in Oamaru to lay the foundation stone of the district’s war memoral, said he was patron of the RSA and chairman of the Patriotic Fund Board. '.. " I am worried about certain things that are happening at the present time,” he said. The Patriotic Fund Board was being criticised by RSA branches all over New Zealand. They were criticising the PpHcy the board in the disposal of the funds, but the board had studied the position closely. It had to be remembered that after 50 years there was still a large number of Boer War veterans requiring assistance. It was, therefore, necessary for the board to have a policy for at least 60 years ahead. The problem was not going to b© solved by buying up old, delapidated homes and turning them into ex-ser-vicemen’s homes, Sir Bernard said. Every ex-serviceman should have his own room; the men were not going to be happy in wards as had been the case in the past. The problem of looking after aged ex-servicemen was a big one, entailing a big construction programme, he said. There were four homes in New Zealand to look after bedridden cases of all wars. These homes cost £54,000 a year to maintain.