RED CROSS SOCIETY.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16309, 5 September 1918, Page 2

RED CROSS SOCIETY.

4 MI3F.TJNG OK 'WO 11 EX'S EXECUTIVE. Tho Women's Executive of the Red Cross Society met, y :r.*~';d:iy, Mrs Boyle presiding. Mr J. A. Flcshcr, chairman of the centre exc-cntive, wr.s present. Tho packing department vMra H. F. V.":gra'm) lepcricd having doip.itciit'i tueraty-thv-.o c.isc-ii of clotiiinj;, valued at £1752, to the Xcx Zealand Red Cross nt Southampton. Honey (•si.xty-uiv.e casts), valued at .w'ct), was also de-spatched to the samo destination. The talcs department reported that eri!<.'.? of garments had realist'J £IC9O 19s lid, and sales of wcoi £284 4s BJ, a total of £1275 4s 7d. For tho receiving department, Mrs Vernon repo.tsd tha.t the number of garments received in July was 13,793, while tho August total Was 15,10 G. The report- of tho enquiry bureau stated that the work of tho bureau had been light, ns recent casualty lists of killed and missing had be-en very small. Only 131 enquiiiee were recordc-J. The mails which arrived during tho month were email; and only 117 reports were received, tho majority of these hom returned soldiers. The comforts department (Mrs C. J. Troloavcn) reported that donations received in August totalled £160 7s sd, while gift 3 in kind weio received from many branches and private donors, including fifteen jars o£ pickles from Halswell, also 561b of hor.ev and sixteen tins of tobacco. During the month 2581b of cake were made in Uie Bed Cross kitchen by Mrs Brown. Tho rrapense to tho app?al for egga had been very generous, but more donations of butter, raisins, etc., were icquired. A large amount of_ comforts had been sent to Hanmer. Thanks to the courtesy of the Railway Traffio Manager i'i ul!ov;ing tho Red Cross the uso of the .liaihvay Ambulance Brigade hall, the department was able to supply breakfast to a draft of returned soldiers last week. The hospital visiting department reported that there were forty-five patients in the Chalmers Ward, and seventeen men and 'wo liuning sisters in the Sanatorium. All had been regularly visited and supplied with comforts. Mrs Bovle said that Miss Mlllicenfc Jennings had 6ent in a cheque fi>r £15, as a result of her two concerts, while Mrs V. E. Mills had forwarded over £40, the proceeds f-om the entertainments of the "Khaki Kewp:?a." Mr Flesher reported that South Cancerbury hr.d cent iri £2047 for the Prisoners of War Fund, which, with sundry small amounts received, brought the fund to nearly £12,500. . A copy of a report furnished by _ Colonel .Chaytor 'to the Red Cross Commissioner in London was received from Colonel Heaton Rhodes. It contained a list _of acceptable gifts from New Zealand, these including comforts as well as hospital necessities ana clothing. A large store was in progress of erection at Kantaru, in which all' Bed Cress ard other gifts would bo stored. Owing to the more trying conditions of the Jordan Valloy the sick rate had increased _ about 50 per cent., and a corresponding increase in tho quantity of gifts would bo required. Tho average number of men in hospitals and convalescent homes during January to March Was 350, and was now about 500. Mr Flesher brought up the subject of the Our Day appeal, and urged all Eed Cross workers to oven greater effort. So far It ago had collected over £7000, v/hilo Canterbury had raised only £4000. "OT7R DAY" STREET APPEAL. Following on the meeting of the women's executive, a meeting of city and suburban branch representatives was held in connexion with "Our Day." Mr Flesher explained that the object of the meeting was to ascertain what help could fce given by branches in connexion with tho 6treet appaal on Wednesday, October l' ; th. A large" number of promises fcr stalls was received, and plans for a scheme of decoration representative of Allied countries were discussed, the scheme being d'-<ided upon with vry little discussion.