NEW AMBULANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 237, 7 October 1933, Page 12

NEW AMBULANCE.

CITIZEN'S GIFT.

COMPLETE IN ALL DETAILS

APPEAL REALISES £760. In round figures, £760 was collected yesterday in the annual street appeal of the St. John Ambulance Association. Returns are not quite complete. The amount collected last year was £729.

The manager of the association, Mr. S. E. Langstone, said the association was gratified with the result of the appeal. The public had given freely. He especially appreciated the work of the Mayoress, Mrs. G. W. Hutchison, who had organised the appeal, and her band of helpers representing so many organisations, whose combined efforts had made the appeal the success it was.

In conjunction with the appeal, the fine gift to the association of an ambulance by Mr. F. C. Mappin, of Mountain Road, Epsom, was announced. The ambulance is to be mounted on the chassis of Mr. Mappin's Daimler motor car. The body, which is being made locajjy, is practically complete; and the machine will be put into commission as soon as a set of special wheels and large - section tyres arrive from England within the next fortnight. The whole ambulance, including chassis, body, equipment, special tyres, and wheels, is the gift of Mr. Mappin.

The chassis has a six-cylinder 45 h.p. engine. Mr. S. E. Langstone, manager of the association, said that the chassis embodied the three essentials for ambulance work — reliability, speed, and vibrationless running. The special tyres ordered would result in exceptional comfort for patients. Since, however, the ambulance was larger <lian the others, more garage space was absolutely essential. " A Very Great Help." It had been felt for some time that another ambulance was necessary, said Mr. Langstone, but the association had not the money to obtain one. "Mr. Mappin's gift of his Daimler, the chassis alone of which would ordinarily have been beyond our means, is a very great help." The centre was grateful indeed to Mr. Mappin for his generosity.

The ambulance had seven ambulances at present, said Mr. Langstone. One was stationed at Devonport, one at the Queen's wharf, and one was used exclusively for infectious diseases, leaving only four to deal with any sickness or emergency that might arise. The addition of another would be most valuable.

Since it was the first ambulance presented to the association, the association intended to hold a dedication ceremony before it was put on the road. Archbishop Averill would be requested to perform the ceremony.