CARE OF SOLDIERS

Southland Times, Issue 25691, 28 June 1943, Page 3

CARE OF SOLDIERS

Patriotic Fund Board Active An illustration of how patriotic funds were being spent in the South Pacific and the Middle East is provided in a bulletin issued by the National Patriotic Fund Board and submitted to a meeting of the Southland Provincial Patriotic Council by the honorary secretary, Mr W. F. Sturman. The bulletin stated that at Tonga buildings had been taken over, and these would be equipped by the board to provide a recreation centre for men on leave, and also a club. The recreation centre would include facilities for dances and for playing football, cricket, baseball and tennis. In addition to these new ventures in the Pacific, the board some time ago built and equipped a fine club building. The board was also supplying an ice-cream manufacturing plant, complete with hardening, holding and ageing rooms. This equipment, for which a contract had been let, was to be installed at New Caledonia. The capacity of the plant was 100 gallons of ice-cream a day. Some idea of the service being given in the Middle East among the New Zealand forces by the Y.M.C.A. with comforts and funds provided through the Patriotic Fund Board is given by the following figures relating to goods supplied to the New Zealand Division in February and March:—32s,ooo bars of chocolate, . 3,400,000 cigarettes and I 148,000 tins of tobacco. In addition £7OO was spent in the provision of tea.