HOSPITAL SHIP

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2479, 4 June 1915, Page 7

HOSPITAL SHIP

POPULAR MISCONCEPTIONS 1 ; THE MINISTER EXPLAINS 3 A 11 The Minister of Defence (tlic Hon. J. Allen) endeavoured to clear away some misconceptions still entertained by tlio [1( public in regard to the Hospital Ship ;l in a statement lie. gave to a reporter yesterday. t; , "It seems to me," he said, "that J there is considerable misunderstanding in tho minds of some people about tlio j, position of tbc Government in relation 0 to the ship. 1. want to mako it porfectl.y clear again, as I have already f tried to do, that the Government aro t quite prepared to fit out that ship in every detail at the expense of the State. n But His Excellency tho Governor quite j rightly*wanted to have a personal intcrest in some particular humane work with respect to the war, and he knew g that there must bo a great many other people in New Zealand who would liko to have a similar interest in the fitting up of tho ship. His Excellency has q therefore led a movement to provido a p part of tho equipment, as distinct from t t.ho cost of preparing tho ship and j. furnishing it for this special service. Wo are paying every halfpenny of tlio , cost of this latter work, and we aro _ prepared, if necessary, to pay for all , the rest. But if people want to give we don't want to stop them. We don't want to deprive tlioni of the pleasure— which I hope it is to them—of doing somothing lor our wounded. But nobody need give. If anybody has tlio slightest compunction about giving ho may either keep his money or give it to some of the other patriotic funds. The Government have never asked for a penny for the ship. The Governor has asked, and I think it is quito right for him to do so. His Excellency is taking a very groat interest in tho movement he has initiated, and I think tho people ought to be very grateful to him for it." Mr. Allen said that he would like the people interested to understand that the Defence Department were not working in the dark in tho fitting up of the ship. They would follow tho Admiralty regulations, and the Imperial Army regulations, and they also had obtained tho plans of the Australian ship Grantala. Somo of our own officers had had experience of fitting up hospital ships. Tho work would bo dono under tho supervision of tho Transport Board appointed by the Minister early in the war, and this Board had among its members shipping oxperts and medical men, as well as officers of tho staff. It would also hav-j tlio advice of Colonel Collins, Director of Medical Services, and LieutenantColonel Inglis of Auckland. Tho people could bo assured that the ship would bo well fitted out for its work, and also that there would bo no unnecessary extravagance. AYitli regard to tho part undertaken by His Excellency, Mr. Allen said ho knew that tlio very greatest care had been exercised in drawing up the specifications for tlio equipment, and this also was being supervised by tho Director of Medical Services. The only adverse criticism ho had heard of the list as published , was against the item 1200 deck-chairs. These chairs would, however, bo small and inexpensive, and a sufficient num- ' ber was being obtained to provide for the replacing of broken and worn-out ones. The cost of them would be comparatively small compared with the total cost, and the public need not ho afraid of it.