CANTEEN FUNDS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 146, 23 June 1931, Page 8

CANTEEN FUNDS

POLICY OF THE BOARD LOOKED UPON AS 'LAST DITCH' SUMS PAID OUT TO DATE [ Per Press Association. J WELLINGTON, June 22. I The suggestion that increasing funds should be disbursed from the canteen fund for the purpose of helping re turned soldiers who arc out of work at tho present time was made at the annual meeting of tho Wellington U.S.A, to-night when the President, Lieutenant-Colonel 11. E. Avery C.M.G.; made a statement dealing with the finances of the canteen funds. The president that during the year the Canteen Fund Board had placed various sums at the disposal of the N.Z.U.S.A, which had distributed it to various branches. Wellington benefited to the extent of £l4OO which, with £325 from tho previous year, had been expended. It was hoped to receive a further allocation from the Canteen Fund Board in the near future. Mr H. M. Haycock considered that they should press for a larger grant to every association throughout the Dominion. If the Diggers needed assistance as they did to-day then it was the bounden duty of the Government to look after those things. The president pointed out that the canteen funds were not £150,000 but about £220,000. The policy of the Canteen Fund Board up-to-date had been to conserve the funds and they looked upon them as the last ditch after the War Funds Council and the Patriotic bodies had disbursed their funds. That policy had been affirmed at every annual conference of the N.Z.R.S.A. to date. It was easy to say disburse the funds. There must be some scheme put to the Canteen Board which wouldcnsurc that the funds were spent to the best advantage in tho interests of returned soldiers. Tho Canteen Fund Board’s revenue was £.11,000 a, year. Yet in tho last year returned soldiers had benefited to extent of £16,500 from the fund, £5OOO early in the year followed by £3500, £3OO and then £l5OO to the Trentham Scholarship fund, £lOOO to the Napier and Hawke’s Bay Association and other sums making up a total which exceeded the income. Sums were paid out to branches of the R.S.A,

The Canteen Fund Board was keenly alive to its responsibilities for every member of the Board was a returned soldier. There were war relief funds and patriotic funds dsigned to help the returned soldiers. There was a lot of money in those funds. He assured the meeting that the matter would be fully discussed by the Dominion Conference.