HEALTH STAMP PLAN

Taranaki Daily News, 4 September 1935, Page 5

HEALTH STAMP PLAN

MR. L. O. HOOKER’S CAMPAIGN. APPROVAL BY THE MINISTER. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Mr. L. O. Hooker, honorary organiser fol the health stamp and health campaign for this year, speaking at the luncheon of ‘the Feilding Civic Club today, gave an outline of the organisation being put into operation in connection with the campaign. The two most important points dealt with were the arrangements for the special collections of money and the dealing with the money. Both of these points had been discussed with Sir Alexander Young, Minister of Health, and as a result the following telegram was received by Mr. Hooker from Sir Alexander;— “Hitherto the proceeds of the sale of health stamps have been allocated according \to the postal districts. This entails rather wide areas, having in some cases no true relationship to the activities of the children’s health camp organisations. I welcome and approve your suggestion to attach the moneys to the hospital districts, and if you can be instrumental in setting up properly constituted committees or associations in the hospital districts where no organisations at present exist I shall be pleased to recognise such bodies and to entrust them with the administration of the funds raised. The only condition is that the moneys shall be expended in the maintenance at health camps _ of eligible children selected on the advice of officers of the school medical service, or on the recommendation of medical practitioners.

“Generally I do not favour at this stage the use of health stamp moneys for capital expenditure, but in the main centres where no suitable buildings exist I would consider representations for the allocation of part of the funds towards capital expenditure if the expected results from the sale of this year’s stamps are attained. In many cases, particularly from small hospital districts, the funds can be more beneficially used for the immediate help of needy children by sending them to an existing health camp where proper routine is established than by expenditure on building and equipment. “It is very heartening to learn of the encouraging response you are receiving and I wish you full success with your campaign.”