RED CROSS WORK.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18096, 11 June 1924, Page 11

RED CROSS WORK.

THE RECENT CONFERENCE,

The Mayor (Mr J. A. Flesher) returned to Cliristchurch yesterday from Auckland, where he attended a Dominion conference of the Red Cross organisation.

Mr Flesher said yesterday that the most important matters discussed at the conlerence related to a proposal to transfer to iVVitlingjcon ail the liquid assets of the various districts and the adoption of a' plan of centralisation. Ihe proposal, however, was strongly opposed, and it was decided practically unanimously that the change was not desirable, and was, in fact, opposed to the constitution of the organisation originally agreed upon. According to the proposal Canterbury would receive a grant of £4473 from the central funds, although last j?ar the expenditure in the Canterbury district _ was over £SOOO. The scheme was to give Canterbury a sum based on the average annual expenditure which would work out at £7OO less than what was actually spent last year. The work which was formerly done by the Y.M.C.A. for the benefit of the sick and wounded soldiers was tjvo years ago taken over by the lied Cross organisation, and the cost of that work in thp Canterbury district last year was over £I3OO, which was more than the rest of the Dominion put together, and about three times the expenditure in any other centre. On his motion it was "decided that in the future that expenditure should he borne by the central funds, thus relieving centres of financial responsibility for the work in question. That would bring the annual expenditure into line with the provision made in the first instance f°r capital expenditure when all the Y.M.C.A. equipment was taken over by the Red Cross organisation. The question of Red Cross scholarships for the training of nurses in England was also considered, and arrangements were made for' Sister Clarke to commence work in the Canterbury district / immediately, and to continue her work in the district; for a period of two years. Her activities would be conducted under the direction of the local Red Cross executive. The tther scholarship holder, J> Sister Webster, would remain in the*Taranaki distiict for another year. It was decided that future scholarship holders should be required to serve the Red Cross organisation for at least three years p.l'ter their return from London. Arrangements were made for the granting of two additional scholarships to en.tlile the selected nurses to go to London for special training, and on return to train probationers to carry on the work the specially trained mines Lad begun.