PUBLIC OPINION.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 6496, 24 September 1915, Page 6

PUBLIC OPINION.

Hospital Ship Fund.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Will you allow me to make ul<? ot" your correspondence column to communicate with the larga and scattered band of helpers who are working in connection with the above fund, in order to acquaint them with the new situation which has arisen and tv prepare them for a further and probably heavier tax upon their willing energies. His Excellency the Governor announces that it has been found necessary to prepare at once for the despatch of a second hospital ship from New Zealand, fully equipped as the Maheno was, and that the fine liner "Marama" has already been secured and is to be depatched early in December. As the Maheno does not appear likely to be able to return to the Dominion, as expected, it would seem best to send forward the goods our Committee has already arranged to be completed by the end of the present month, to her or to the hospitals in Egypt, Malta, or elsewhere where our wounded are being cared for, as soon as possible. It ia evident such goods as we have in hand are urgently wanted at all our hospitals abroad, and if we adhere to our original plan of forwarding at the beginning of next month to the Secretary for Internal Affairs, with the request that our gifts bf forwarded by the first transport sailing, we shall undoubtedly attain our object, namely, helping our sick and wounded wherever they may be. The moment'we have this parcel off our handa, I suggest that we make a further draw upon our funds, and set our willing ban:! of workers hard at work again upon a few of the lines of goods asked for by the Governor, —such lines as our situation and means best enable us to handle, —'-and send them for the Marama. In his present appeal the Governor emphasizes on< point to which we should give due weight when selecting what iines of goods we can contribute; it 19 this: —That owing to the short time available, the various articles contributed should be packed in separate cases as far as possible, so that the storekeeper on the ship will know which cases contain pyjamas which bath towels, etc., and will thus be able to lay his hands at once on any article required. I propose to call a meeting of our Ladies' Committee for a suitable day next week to go fully into this matter, and as His Excellency desires to know a3 soon as possible what contributions he can count on, in kind, so that he may know what will have to be purchased to complete the outfitting, we can then ask the Mayor to inform him officially of what \va are prepared to undertake, and that our contribution will reach him in due course by the stipulated date, namely, the 10th November. Meanwhile I trust our friends who have been working for the present shipment, will see that any articles they have made are in the hands of our collectors not later than Wednesday next, so that we may start this lot on its way to thß Maheno or the base hospitals as soon as possible. —I am, etc.,

G. ARNOLD WARD, Chairman, Ladies' Committee, H.S.F Tauranga, Sept 23rd, 1915.