PATRIOTIC AND CANTEEN BOARD FUNDS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 118, 23 May 1946, Page 4

PATRIOTIC AND CANTEEN BOARD FUNDS

PROPOSED AMALGAMATION

WANGANUI REACTIONS

A Bill is to be brought down at the next session of Parliament (which opens in the last week of June) for the purpose of establishing a board to administer patriotic funds, and it is proposed that the Canteen Fund (moneys raised during the wdr in profits from various canteens) be merged and administered by a body representing not only patriotic bodies, but also bodies such as the Returned Services’ Association and the Home Servicemen’s Association, the three services and the St. John and Red Cross Council.

The proposed new set-un is 1o be discussed at a meeting of the Wellington Provincial Patriotic Council, on which the Wanganui Patriotic Committee is represented, in Wellington, on May 29. Mr. N. R. Bain, chairman of the Wanganui committee, will be the Wanganui representative. WHAT IS PROPOSED.

Under what is proposed Ihe present National Patriotic Fund Board and the Canteen Board would become the New Zealand Patriotic and Services Welfare Board, with a memb ov ship of 19. The existing Provincial Patriotic Councils (including Wellington, on which Wanganui is represented) would appoint from among them seven members, and the remainder of the board would be made up by the appointment of three members to represent the services (one each from the Navy, Army and Air Force), three to represent the New Jeajand R.S.A., one the Home Servicemen's Association, one the of St. John and the N.Z. Red Cross Society: the under-Secretary of Internal Affairs or his nominee and three persons appointed in the first Aflace by the National Patriotic Fund, Board, and later by the newly-constituted board.

Term of office of all members of the proposed new board would be for three years, except in the case of the Under-Secretary of Internal- Affairs.

It is proposed to estibfisti a New Zealand Patriotic an A .Services Welfare Fund. This wotill‘bfrzrttnde up of all National Patriotic Board funds and property, all Canteen Board funds, all subsequent contributions and accumulations of monies from present sources of income. Purposes for which the funds of Ihe jiew board would be used are specified as the relief and assistance of all persons who served in the forces, Merchant Navy or voluntary organisations during World War 11. as defined in Ihe Patriotic Purposes Emergency Regulations 1939. and the dependants of such personnel. The board’s revenue could also be expended on the establishment or maintenance of new or existing convalescent or rest homes, or for the creation of trust funds for special purposes.

Provincial Patriotic Councils would remain in existence, and could receive grants from the Welfare Board for expenditure, either in resoect of any particular case or generally. It is re,eomended that provision be made for constituting Provincial Patriotic Councils on a permanent basis for the purpose of administering all funds in 1 their possession at the time of the passing of the Act' authorising the 1 creation of the new Welfare Board.

The new Act would repeal the Patriotic Purposes Emergency Regulations and the Defence Canteen Emergency Regulations, but would embody anv essential features of those regulations. Nothing in the Act would interfere with the lawful operations of the R.S.A., 2nd. N.Z.E.F. Association, Home Servicemen’s Association or Ihe Commercial Travellers’ Blinded Soldiers’ Fund. WANGANUI REACTIONS.

Reactions to what is proposed were indicated at a meeting yesterday of the Wanganui Patriotic which concerned itself mainly with the constitution of the proposed new board, rather than with whether the patriotic and canteen funds should be amalgamated.

With regard to the proposed new board, the committee passed the following resolution: “That the set-up (as suggested) be approved, provided that the appointees of the various bodies named are accepted and the board constituted occordingly." Regarding amalgamation of the two funds—patriotic and canteen the committee passed the following resolution:—

“That it would appear (from the proposals made) that patriotic purposes, as defined in the present regulations would be extended to approximate the purposes of the Canteen Fund, but that that would be unimportant if the non-nolitical body as proposed is brought into being. If, however, the funds are not amalgamated, then we think the purposes for which the patriotic funds are'to be used (as indicated in the proposal) be reconsidered, particularly in regard to the proposed relief, etc., to be extended to groups of persons. It was also resolved to ask that the draft of the proposed Bill should be approved by the Provincial Patriotic Councils before the Bill comes before the House.

The tenor of the meeting was definitely opposed to Government control of patriotic funds, and felt that if the bodies concerned in the proposed new set up had a right to put their own nominees on the board, what was proposed would, in effect,.prevent political control. With regard to the Canteen Fund the commiUee felt that its administration by a ' non-polit'cal body was advisable, but that whether the two funds should be.amalgamat-d was worthy of the fullest »pbssible discussion. particularly, among those most vitally concerned, the men and women who had served in this war.