A MASTERTON FUNCTION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 282, 21 August 1908, Page 7

A MASTERTON FUNCTION.

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ;. DEMONSTRATION. SPEECH BY LORD PLUNKET. "(lir TELEGEAFH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) (.'■' Masterton,, August 20.. His Excellency Lord Plunket, .attended by Captain Gathome Hardy, arrived in Masterion to-day in connection with the presentation of awards in connection with tho St. John Ambulance Association. Upon his'arrival at' the railway station the Governor was accorded a civic welcome by the Mayor (Mr. P. L. Hollings) and Councillors, and was welcomed bji members of the Ambulance Brigade.; Tlib guard of honour was provided by the Masterton School' Cadets,, under Captain Haslam. . . ;

During the afternoon his Excollency visited the District High School, St. Brido's Convent, the fish ponds of the Acclimatisation Society, the Masterton Hospital, and tho Te Oro, Ore Maori pa, where the Natives gave bim a welcome.

Lord riunket was then entertained at afternoon tea by Masterton ladies, onbelialf of the Ambulance Brigade. At the evening ceromony his Excellency, who was much applauded, referred in the course of his address to tho inconveniences which he said he had caused tho town through his non-arrival, yesterday; He deeply regretted the mistake, and although an Irishman could not have a sufficient excuse— (laughter)—he could say, however, that he had had a very busy time during the past fortnight, and he had actually mistaken the proper day of tho function. On the next occasion :ho was invited to Masterton he trusted, with.the .help of the railway authorities, to be up to time. The speaker then referred to the pleasure which it gave him to be invited to towns outside the larger centres. Such invitations, ho said, apart from any other moaning, were an indication of go-aheadness and enterprise, and a desire that the outside public should know bow the district was progressing. ' His' Excellency next touched upon the work which was being performed by the St. John Ambulance Association throughout tho Dominion. Tho most successful branch, he said, was in Wellington, and the reason of this fact, he thought, was because .tho \Vellington branch in addition to general work embraced tho bigger and wider sphere of district nursing. He. was glad to hear that the Masterton branch had also this idea in view. The system had been successful!}* tried-.in Ireland in much smaller centres than was Masterton, and ho would be pleased tj support' tho movement. If ho might bo elh'wcd to mako a suggestion ho thought the schome might be tried in combination with the Society for Protection of Infint Life in which Lady Punket was interestin--lierself, by obtaining tho services of a nurse with all the requisite requirements for gene-rf-1 nursing: The saving of infant life should be ono of our most serious considerations in. viow of the fact that wo had a fairly high: death-rate, while our birth-rate was .decreasing. The system of firjt-aid might ivoll be taken up with general :>dyai'tage by half our population, who would thereby have many opportunities of illustrating its usefulness in-times of accident and illness in staving off trouble till the dictor came.

In conclusion, his Excellcncv said that ho had - very much pleasure in being allowed to bs associated with the Mastcrton branch, and. ho wished it all possible success in the future. | The presentation of certificates was then gone on with. The names of the successful candidates'have alrea'dv been published. The function concluded with some interesting illustrations of first-aid by members of the division.

Tfis Excellency will return to Palinerston north by the first train to-morrow morning.