CRITICISM OF POPPY DAY ADMINISTRATION REFUTED BY LEGION

Wanganui Chronicle, 14 December 1949, Page 5

CRITICISM OF POPPY DAY ADMINISTRATION REFUTED BY LEGION

LONDON, Dec 13 (Reed 6 pm).— The president of the British Legion, Sir lan Fraser, M.P., has issued an official reply to recent allegations against the Legion’s conduct of its affairs made by Commander H. Pursey, M.P. In his reply, which takes the form of a foreword to a special booklet issued by the Legion, Sir lan Fraser categorically denies Commander Pursey’s allegations that the Legion is exploiting disabled ex-servicemen and their wives in order to obtain cheap supplies of poppies for its annual Poppy Day appeal. A total of 369

badly disabled men are engaged in the manufact.: e of poppies,” says Sir lan. They work no more than a 40-hour week and receive an average wage of £5 15s a week. Commander Pursey’s suggestion that the wives of disabled men collect materials for poppies and make them up at home under sweated labour conditions is also denied. Commander Pursey is not a constructive critic who wants to help the Legion, but, on the contrary, is out to destroy it, says Sir lan. Every opportunity was open to him to make enquiries and I offered on a number of occasions to see him, but he preferred, without checking his facts, to publish his statements in ap open letter just before Poppy Day. The Press generally reserved publication of this letter and comment upon it until Poppy Day was over, and I should like to thank the newspapers for their consideration.” Sir lan Fraser goes on to refute Commander Pursey’s charges that the executive of the Legion is composed mainly of "titles, dignitaries and brass hats.” A council of 34 includes three holders of hereditary titles, and four holders of Knighthoods, tw'o of which were awarded for services to the Legion. The “brass hats” consist ot one lieutenant general, one major general, and one brigadier general. Pointing out that nearly 11,000,000 is now raised by the annual Poppy Day appeal, Sir lan asks whether this indicates that the public feels, as Commander Pursey claims, that the appeal is unnfecessary. Sir lan then goes on to give details of the salaries paid to the Legion’s chief paid officials, and to quote details of its expenditupe in order to refute Cbmmander Pursey’s charges that the salaries and administration expenses are unnecessarily high. Sir lan concludes by an assurance that the Legion is funy»conscious of its responsibility to the puolic and that many months ago it had set up a committee of inquiry to check all matters on which there might be public criticism. The results of this committee’s enquiry would be published in due course. Commander Pursey, replying to Sir lan Fraser's statement, said he stood by every word of his charges. He asked why the Legion did not publish a detailed balance-sheet after its Poppy Day appeal. “The idea that the Legion can satisfy public concern by holding a private enquiry of its own is quite farcical,” he said. “What is required is a public enquiry on the lines of that appointed by the previous President, the late Earl Jellicoe in 1929. Commander Pursey reiterated a former statement that the introduction of the British national health scheme and the improved system of war pensions, together with large relief funds administered separately by the Army, Navy and Air Force, had made continued charity appeals by the Legion unnecessary.—Special N.Z.P.A. Correspondent.