RED CROSS WORK

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3064, 27 April 1917, Page 3

RED CROSS WORK

. WELLINGTON RECORD FOR THE YEAR. , ANNUAL MEETING ■.- .' ■ '•' /_; - i''-' v " :' ■ The annual meeting of the Wellington Centre of the New Zealand Branch of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St. John was held in the Red Cross Depot,; Mercer Street; last, evening. There was a good attendance of members of the eociety and workers. The annual report presented at the meeting, in dealing with the organisation of the society, stated that.during the past year the New Zealand Branch has completed its organisation,: ( and the affairs of the branch "will now be /under tho ' control of a Central Council, which consists .of'the president, Her Excellency Lady Liverpool, the officer in charge (Lieutenant-Colonel Moorhouse) and 24 members, six/of whom are" to.be appoint-' ed by each of the four centres: Eachcentre in the past has appointed, only: three, members, but this number has been increased to .six, so that the main Bub-centres may have .representation on the council. ' ■~ -. ' r.■ - The New Zealand Council has appointed a standing executive which includes the president," the officer-in-charge," and six members, two of whom are appointed ■ by'the council' and one by each ■ centre, and this executive will carry out the policy of tho council. A. committee in London and a New Zealand Rod Cross commissioner haya, at the;T«quest of the British Red Cross 'Society,' been appointed to look after tlto affairs of the New Zealand branch, arid this committee takes charge of : all goods sent. and all money remitted.to England. ! . ! The presents: commissioner. . isV. Mr. -Charles Elgar, and th.e committee,"which is a snb-cqmmittee of the New Zealand War Contingent Association consists of . Lord Blunket. (chairman) and Sir Tho- , ana.s Mackenzie and Messrs. J, B.Ooates, Douglas MTJean, Sinclair Thomson, and IT: Waldegrave, all of "whom are ivell- ■ known in New Zealand. 'r. .....

The jurisdiction of the Wellington Centre! covers the Wellington Military District, which extends as far as Gisborne on tho onosido and Waitara on -tie other side of the North Island. . ; , The ontpnt of work Las greatly increased during the year,'-as tho following figures show:—. • , . • ■■ • . .

Total valne of goods dispatch- : ed from the Wellington " •' '-'" Central Depot for export .„ 13,536 5 K

Total value of goods supplied - to Military Hospitals in ■ Now Zealand ...;......... 828 i 7 Money paid to Salvation Army by special request of donors 50 0 0 Money paid to T.JI.C.A 132 1 0 Money remitted to British Red Cross Socioty. London . 15,561 13 i Money remitted to Russian Red Cross Society ............ 100 0 0 Money paid to Hospital in New Zealand at request of donors 20 0 0 Money to Egypt, Mesopotamia ...'. ' 348 1 G Money remitted to tho london Committee and Commissions ••' 7,395 13 8 '" ■ - . c .■ ■ .£37,071 19 6 During tho early part of the year goods and money were 6ent from eorao , of the sub-centres direct to particular hospitals in Egypt and France and other places, where it was reported they wero wanted, but in many cases tbe want had already been filled, and in other cases the information received was not correct, and the Tesult was very, unsatisfactory. In order to remedy this, tho London Committee and tho commissioner have been appointed, so that all. moneys and ■goods will bo sent to them for distribution, and tho reported want of any particular hospital will bo looked into and supplied, if necessary, witliout delay. .; .■.:•.•," Destination of Goods and Money. , It is hoped, now that the organisation of the branch is so complete, goods and moneye intended for Europe will.not be sent away except through the London Committee. Their first caro is to .proTide for the sick and wounded New Zea- . landers;, and. any surplus is handed over to tho parent society. This arrangement is made at the express wish of tho parent society,, which explains that if each country will look after its own men, the ■iTork.of the society will be greatjy facilitated. ■ The present arrangement is to consign all goods intended for England to the New Zealand Gift Stores at Southampton, and to remit all. moneys to the New Zealand Red Cross Commissioner in London.

The committee is desirous of providing as much as possible for the wants of the sick and wounded of all the Allies, but they havo ,been requested to, make tho wants of tho New Zealanders their especial care. Goods and money which are not sent through the London Committee will probably never reach the New Zealand sick and wounded, and do not assist the carrying out of the obligation to look after our own sick' and wounded. .

Those who desiro to assist can best do so by conforming to the; exact require-

mente of the authorities and by making .their contribution of money and material through the society which has been organised for the purpose of ascertaining the wants and Tendering the assistance in the form in which it is required and to the points to which the authorities direct them to be supplied. The appeal for "Our Day" made in this district in November resulted in £12,013 being remitted to the headquarters of the British Red Cross Society. The local military hospitals have not been forgotten. During tho year the following goods wero supplied, viz.:— Trontharri Hospital, 2970 garments; Lowrv Bay Convalescent Home, 1771 garments; Featherston Hospital. 1«1 Barmente;, Victoria Ward (Wellington Hospital), 312 garments; King George V Convalescent Home, Rotorua, 97 garments; and Awapuni Medical Camp, 651 assorted bandages. Soldiore' Comforts.—The Comforts Guild, under Mts. 11. Myers and Mrs. A. E. Pearce, have supplied cakes ; fruit and other luxuries to the men in the local military hospitals and convalescent homes to the valuo of about .£2OO per anHo'spital Ships.-The New Zealand hospital ships Maheno and Marama Teturn periodically and make 6orae calls upon this centre, but eince they were first fitted out tho calls have been comparatively light, but we have supplied to them during tho past year: Marama, G079 garments; Mahono, SO2S garments. Egypt and Mesopotamia.—The following goods have been sent to Egypt and Mesopotamia during the past year, namely:— To Egypt, 6977 garments; to Mesopotamia, 1545 garment?; tothe Russian Red Cross. 24,861 (garments; to the French Red Cross, a few cases.

The Sub-Centres. The success of the Wellington Centre has been in a very great measure due to the valuable and consistent work and enthusiasm of the sub-centres in the district, of which there aTe 105, including Rarotongn. It has been a great assistance to the BBb-centres to have a central depot to which the result of their efforts can be dispatched and from which they can get guidance from time to time, but; the work of thosein charge of the depot is greatly assisted by the consistency with which goods come forward from the sub-centres. Each sub-centre has a right to send a representative to any meeting of the executive committee at .Wellington,. but this right has not been taken advantage of as much as is desired. ■ Much assistance has been derived from bands of volunteers from Messrs. Kirkcaldie and Stains, M'Bldowney. Brothers,. and Roberts; Ltd., and others, who are good enough' to assist with the packing of goods every' Wednesday; also from Red Cross shops which have been established in different parts of the district; also from the pupils of the various- State schools, from -various guilds, clubs and committees which do Red Cross work, and many' homo workers, and tho ladies wlio havo doiio'the. typing for us. The committee icsrels that for private reasons Mr. J. W. Bridge, who gave ,ro rmich of his valuable time to the duties of honorary secretary, has been compelled to resign. The committee is fortunate in having secured. the, services of Miss Sybil Nathan, who; is also secretary of tii© women's committee, and who devotes the wholo of her timo to the society. ' ' • According to the statement of receipts and expenditure,, the society has a balance at tho bank of .£723 Bs. 3d., and jEIOOO on deposit in the Post Office Savinre Bank.

Under the heading of special contributions were received the follpwing amounts:— ' • ■ ■ •■■■■. £ s.d. British Red Cross Society, London 3518 10 0 N.Z. War Contingent Association ~.. 1639 2 4 N.Z. Red Cross Commissioner 1585 11 0 Russian Red Cross-Society .... 100 0 0 St., Dunetan's Hospital 100 0 0 No. 1 Stationary Hospital .... MOO No. 2 Stationary Hospital 50 0 0 Comforts for'-N.Z. Men in Hospital, remitted to MrBernard Tripp ...! : 50 0 0 Aotea Convalescent Homo, Cairo 83 .1 6 Comforts for N.Z. Men in. . . ■ •Egypt ;......; -100.0 0 Special Donations for N.Z. "Men in France and the Trenches 20 17 4 Fever Hospitals, Bombay 45 0 ti N.Zj. Hospitals in New Zealand 20 0 0 Comforts for Men in. Mesopo-' . tamia 70 0 0 Salvation Army 50 0 0 Ambulance Fund 250 0 0 Y.M.C.A. Association 182 1 0 Total ....'. ...JHWi 6 2 Subscriptions and donations received and acknowledged, as per lists published in newspapers, .£6382 4s. 2d.; Red Cross Journal, i 238 lls. 9d.; end the Taihape Sheep Art Union, .£3B 35., brought tie grand total" to ',£14,523 ss. 1d... On the expenditure side the society, by special contributions remitted through the Under-Secretary of Internal Affaire, .£7682 ss. 2d.; the Y.M.C.A., .£lB2 Is.; and the Salvation Army, £50; a total of ,£7864 6s. 2d. • ■■ • ; Other items of interest in the balance- , sheet are a contribution of .£IOO to the St. John Ambulance Brigade, .£2700 to the New Zealand War Contingent Association ini London, .£IOOO to the New Zealand Red Cross Committee in London, and preserved meats tinned milk, Bovo, etc:, for men in Egypt and Mesopotamia, 4s. lid. ' ! The balanceiheet of the Women's Committee discloses a balance at the bank of J3401 18s. -Id. The amount received in donations totalled J51673 Os. 7d.; donations from subscribers, .£387 16s. 3d., and from members (subscriptions), .£l3 17s. Gd.; extra-comforts, 145.; receipts from material sold, ,£726 lls. lid. On the expenses side, material absorbed ,£2576 ; 6s. 8d.; ! comforis, 16s. 6d.

Mr. ;T. Young-(cliairman of the executive of the Wellington Centre) presided at the meeting, and before dealing with the report and balance-sheet gave, notice of having received apologßies from Jlesdames W. Nathan, Joseph, Tripp, Pcarce.i the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) Messrs. Shirtcliffe,, Seville, S. ¥. Wnght, and Colonel Moorhouse. One or two points in connection with the Teport were elaborated, particularly the embarrassment that had been caused by ear-marking sums of money for special purposes' lrhen sending: them to the New Zealand Eed Cross Commissioner in London. It was desirable, Mr. Young added, that the money should be sent and left to the authorities to expend as they thought wisest.

In moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, Mrs. Luke, who is president of the women's committee, emphasised the great support that her committee had received from the country districts. "Without their extremely valuable aid the year's record of work would not have been nearly so good, lhere was another aspect to the work that was accomplished at the depot besides that of the making and packing of garments, etc, and that was the time that was spent by the secretary (Miss Sybil Nathan) in addition to her other work, in . answering appeals for information, and showing inquirers what was done at the depot. They had much to thank her for. The Women's Committee was very grateful to Hie Men's Committee for their assistance, and without it the former wonld not now bo ensconced in the very comfortable quarters that members now occupied for their work.

Surgeon-General Henderson, in speaking to tlio motion, oongratnlated the society upon the admirable report which hnd just been presented. Speaking for the Defence authorities, ho wished, to express the gratitude that was felt for the energy nnd generosity /which had been shown in the work of caring for the sick and wounded. To hare sent away suoh largo sums of money as they had done, was extraordinarily creditable. It was important that people in this country, when sending money away to England, should send it to the NewZealan<l Red Cross Commissioner in London. Tf they <Ished it ear-marked for Fnme special purpose, they might send an intimation to that effect, but at the same time leaving tho Red Cross Commissioner and his committee free to use thair own discretion in tho. matter. General Henderson also stressed the desirability of sending gifts and goods intended for New , Zealand soldiers to the "New Zealand Gift Stores Depot at Southampton; They need not feel hesitation in doing 60, as all gifts sent to the depot wero used for tho benefit of giok; pnd TTonndod New. Zealand sgMierg

in whatever hospitals they might bo at Home. Special mention was made by tho speaker of tho work that had been dono by tho Women's Committee for tho military hospitals in New Zealand, work that had greatly assisted tho military authorities, particularly in the early days of the war. Tho report and balance-sheet having been adopted, Mr. D. M'Laren moved that a very hearty voto of thanks be passed to Mr. Bridges for his valuable services as honorary secretary. The election of officers followed, with tho result that everyono was re-ekoted. Mrs. J. D. Findlay was added to the Women's Committee, and in tlio place of Mr. J. S. Macarthur, who had resigned from the executive of the Wellington Centre, Mr. Andrew Hamilton was elected.