TOO COSTLY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19123, 18 September 1936, Page 6

TOO COSTLY

PARES TO OTAKI CAMP DISTRICT CAMP WANTED COMMITTE E’S PROPOS AI, The conviction that a health camp for children should be established in Poverty Bay was expressed by members of the Health Stamp Campaign Committee, held on Wednesday evening. The meeting, called primarily to discuss arrangements for this year’s selling campaign in respect of the health stamp issue, discussed with keen interest the iinancial side of the present arrangement, under which children are sent from Poverty Bay to Otaki camp for treatment. It was agreed that the cost of fares, which is charged against tiie health camp funds of the district, greatly limits the scope of the district funds.

It was pointed out that the cost of sending a child to Otaki camp from Gisborne was equivalent to the expense of maintaining two children in the camp for four weeks. Apart from the charges which thus accumulate against the funds held in Gisborne, the distance from this centre to Otaki also limits the utility of the scheme, as parents are reluctant to allow their children to be taken such a distance.

A sub-committee was appointed to draw up a letter to the Minister of Health, the Hon. P. F raser, setting out the views of the committee, and proposing the establishment of a camn in Gisborne for children from Poverty Bay and nearby districts. Messrs. W. E. B. Froggatt, W. Oakden, and A. Cassin comprise the sub-committee, which will lay its proposals before the next general meeting.

Details of this year’s health stamp campaign were given in a letter received from the campaign director, November 1 being fixed as the date for the commencement of sales.

A lengthy report was received fiom the Director-General of Health, covering proceedings of the recent’ conference in Wellington, and it was decided that the document should be circulated among members before the next meeting, so that all would he conversant with its proposals.

The trustees stated that 30 children had been sent to Otaki camp during the season, or had proceeded there under arrangements made by t.he trustees.