“WILL NOT HELP WANGANUI”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 230, 30 September 1941, Page 6

“WILL NOT HELP WANGANUI”

1 WELLINGTON COUNCIL OF HEALTH CAMPS TRUST BOARD MAKES COMPARISONS OTHER DISTRICTS ASSISTED Criticism of ihe Wellington Central Council of Health Camps was expressed by Mr. Hope Gibbons at a meeting of the Wanganui Health Camp Trust Board. He said negotiations with the Wellington body had been unsuccessful, the council apparently being determined to close the Wanganui Health Camp as a permanent institution. The council was unwilling to give any assistance whatever toward reopening the camp in Wanganui. Mr. Gibbons spoke at length, describing the negotiations which he and the secretary (Mr. A. R. Donaldson) had entered into in Wellington for financial assistance for the Wanganui camp. Mr. Gibbons said that it was significant that although Wanganui had raised more money than any other district for health camp purposes, grants from the King George V. Memorial Fund had been freely given to other districts, while Wanganui had had a very small amount. He reiterated the fact that the Wanganui Health Camp Trust Board had accumulated assets valued at nearly £7OOO, all but £2660 of which had been raised locally, and the whole of those assets had been handed over to the King George V. Memorial Fund Board. He pointed out that in two years—l94o and 1941—the annual reports of the King George V. Memorial Fund Board disclosed that the following grants had been made: Christchurch. £6985; Otaki, £11.633; Nelson, £1814; Roxburgh, £3436; Wanganui, £2660; Waikato. £2616; Gis£1819; Omaui, £9ll. These grants were for capital expenditure in establishing new camps and in no single case did it appear that the places mentioned had contributed one penny towards establishing the camps. Wanganui had suggested that they should receive a refund of the funds raised locally which had been used for capital expenses to bring them into line with other districts, but this suggestion was refused by the Wellington Central Council. If this had been clone Wanganui would have received approximately £3OOO, which could have been used to maintain a fully operating all the year round camp of 40 children for at. least two years. Instead, Wanganui had had to close and the children of the district are unable to obtain health camp treatment. Expenditure in Other Centres Mr. Gibbons stated that the 1941 report of the King George V. Memorial Fund gave a bref summary of the work to be undertaken, of which the following were included:— Bay of Islands: It is estimated that £5OOO will be required to provide a ■ secondary camp. Auckland: Plans are being prepared to provide a camp for ' 100 children all the year round at the 1 estimated cost of £45,000. Port Waikato: Tenders are considered and ap- ' proved for alterations to existing 1 buildings at a cost of £4183 4s. Taupo: : Negotiations are proceeding to ac- l quire 16 acres for a camp and the ’ estimated cost of the buildings is ’ £5OOO. When the camp is completed it will accommodate 50 children dur- 1 ing the summer. Gisborne: A second- 1 ary camp to accommodate 50 children from 4 to 6 mpnths each year. The building is to cost £7156 and a further £6OO has been allocated for furniture I and equipment. Otaki: An expenditure of £19,000 has been authorised to carry out renovations and erect class- l rooms and dining-room. Nelson: A secondarv camp has been erected at a cost of £5836. an additional grant of £6OO for furniture and £7OO to provide extras has been authorised. The camp is designed to accommodate 50 children from four to six months each year. Christchurch: “Glenelg” was purchased in 1940 and has cost, so far, nearly £7OOO. The 1941 report states: “Since the purchase of this property little progress had been made to establish a permanent health camp for Canterbury. On account of difficulties in securing a guarantee that finance could be available for the maintenance of children, no competen authority offered to assume the control and management. The hoard has endeavoured to settle local difficulties which have arisen. A deputation met and discussed the matter with the Christchurch Central Council, but no further progress can be reported. Roxburgh (Otago): A contract has been let for construction of buildings to accommodate 50. children all the year round with an additional 50 dur' ing the summer. The estimated cost of building, furniture and equipment is £27,000. Omaui (Invercargill): A privately-owned summer camp used as a health camp to accommodate 50 children for two months each year. In addition to £4OO granted last year a further expenditure of £5Ol for new lighting system, incinerator, drainage, and repairs to road has been approved. “It will be obvious that the Wanganui Health Camp is being sacrificed,” continued Mr. Gibbons, and common sense should dictate an emphatic protest at the manner In which we have been treated. We started the health camp movement here long before any other district and those who have given their time and energy in fostering the movement should expect more sympathy than has so far been exhibited. I should mention however, that the Wellington Central Council is the body which is opposing Wanganui’s claims for recognition and I do not think I am wrong in the opinion that I hold and that is that the Wellington Central Council thinks in terms of elaborate buildings at Otaki rather than the care of unfortunate children. I have drawn attention before, and I do so again, to the fact that it costs £1 2s lOd per child per week at Otaki, while it costs only 16s 4d in Wanganui.” The secretary. Mr. A. R. Donaldson, stated that his views coincided with those of Mr. Gibbons, and he suggested that an emphatic protest should be made at the treatment accorded to Wanganui. Mr. G. N. Boulton drew attention to large sums of money which had been paid in other parts for architects’ fees and salaries for clerk of works, running into some hundreds of pounds, and remarked that in Wanganui this class of work had been done voluntarily by Mr. R. G. Taiboys and Mr. A. 1

G. Bignell. He. Mr. Boulton, had analysed the report of grants recommended by the Dominion Advisory Board held on August 11, last, when out of £44,000 authorised only £lO 14s 8d had been allocated to Wanganui (for an insurance premium). He agreed that an emphatic protest should be made. Mr. E. F. Hemingway stated that he was shocked by the position as disclosed by Mr. Gibbons and the reports of the King George V. Memorial Fund Board. It was unanimously 7 resolved that a strong protest should be sent to the King George V. Memorial Fund Board. The secretary stated that the secretary of the Wellington Central Council, Mr. C. Meachem. had telephoned suggesting that a meeting of the Trust Board, the Ladies’ Auxiliary, and other well-wishers of the Health Camp, should be held on Wednesday. October 1, when he would come to Wanganui and address the meeting on the forthcoming health stamp appeal. It was decided to advise the secretary that until matters of finance were satisfactorily settled the Health Camp Trust Board was not prepared to meet him or arrange such a meeting. Mr. Gibbons said that he would be attending a meeting of the Dominion Advisory Board at Wellington to-day.