Rabaul Comforts Fund
p. 117 · Read in the full issue
Distribution of Money
rIS paragraph, which appeared in a Sydney newspaper on October 7, caused the phone of Mrs. N. H. Fox croft, President of the New Guinea Women’s Club, Sydney, to run almost hot:
Money Waiting.
During the war the Rabaul Comforts Fund raised money for prisoners of war and their dependents.
The war over, the New Guinea Women’s Club became the trustees of the money, but they’re having trouble in locating widows and dependents of men who were made prisoners or had lost their lives in the Islands.
If you know of a New Guinea war widow ask her to ring Mrs. N. H.
Foxcroft, LX 1778; there’s a bit of money to be distributed.
THE facts are these: The New Guinea Womens Club, Sydney, had two funds —one of which they originated and worked for themselves and which they called the POW and Civilian Internees’ Fund; and the other, the Rabaul Comforts Fund which was raised in Rabaul before the Japanese occupation for the purpose of sending comforts to men who had en listed therefrom. The money was got out of the Territory and was later handed over to the NG Women’s Club for dis tribution. It was specified by the trust ees of the Fund that it be used to assist New Guinea-enlisted ex-prisoners-of-war or their dependents only. Therefore the distinction between the two funds, in a nutshell, is that the POW and Civ ilian Internees’ Fund money may be used
to assist NG POWs, civilian internees or their dependents. The old Comforts Fund money on the other hand, may be used only for ex-prisoners-of-war—that is, ser vicemen who enlisted in New Guinea— or their dependents.
The club has been anxious to wind up the Comforts Fund for a long time.
Last March they inserted an advertise ment in Australian newspapers, the Pacific Islands Monthly and had a notice displayed in several New Guinea clubs, etc., asking for those eligible and in need, to apply for grants. It was hoped that this would enable them to clean the
whole thing up before the middle of this year. But there was so little response to these advertisements, etc., that the matter has not yet been settled.
Mr. G. W. Nettles, of the Fiji Public Works Department, has arrived in England to begin a four-year course in Civil Engineering at Loughborough Engineering College, Leicestershire. He was awarded a Colonial Development and Welfare Scholarship by the UK Government last year.