OUR WOUNDED IN ENGLAND

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3173, 25 August 1917, Page 2

OUR WOUNDED IN ENGLAND

WORK OF THE WAR CONTINGENT ASSOCIATION \ MEN SPLENDIDLY TREATED tßy a Special Correspondent.) . London, .Inne 23. Ihe New Zealand War Contingent Association is' constantly receiving request from units and "trniniup camps lor jrranU ior I lie social welfare of men who iirc HI. .At its lost, meeting two mwli applications in particular came forward, one I'ur a grant to lite Sports Fund at the Command Depot at Cdcifor'd, and another for a grant towards a regimental band at a traii.ing depot. As a general Pile (he'funds of the association are ear-marked for the benefit of tick ami wounded, and such applications as these can. only be entertained if there is money on hand not so ear-marked. This was (he case as regards the Spurts Fund, to which «EM) was granted, but Hie regimental band did not appear tu Brigadier-Meneral (j. S. Ilichardson to be au essential object, and as funds which are available for lit men are very limited, the application could not be granted. The opinion has been expressed over and over again at the asso--ciation that a great deal of money should 1)6 available for the social welfare of fit, men. Under the present arrangement the man who is fortunate enough to go through the whole campaign without being wounded at all might be entirely disqualified from receiving any of the entertainment which is provided so liberally for wounded and convalescent. Tho number of New Zealanders in hospital ill England at the end of May was, roughly, ".000, of whom '200 were in British hospitals, and the balance in New Zealand military hospitals. Since then, of course, the casualties resulting from the capture of Messines, which fortunately have been small compared with the object achieved, have added considerably to the numbers. New Zealand soldiers are very well provided for in respect to buffets and cauteens at all their camps and hospitals, and this expense falls entirely on 1 funds raised in New Zealand and sent j to the N.Z. War Contingent Association I and the Y.M.C'.A. Generally speaking, although the charges arc. very low, the canteens are more or less self-supporting, but there Ims lately been a considerable falling off,-owing partly to the reduced number of men in hospitals and camps, •™d partly to the food restrictions. New Zealand soldiers travelling from point to point in England are invariably fed at free, or almost free, buffets at" railway stations and other rendezvous. Most of these are run by voluntary effort out of funds suf)s;ribed by the British public and different organisations, but oversea soldiers enjov benefits on equal terms with British. It has been the policy of the N.Z. War Contingent Association, whenever an application is made on behalf of one of these buffets, to ascertain definitely to what extent the institution is made use of by Now Zealand soldiers and to make a small nionev grant accordingly. Iv is felt that' where our men are regularly receiving benefits from institutions ol' this kind, the New Zealand public would naturally wish to recognise the tact in this way. The value of soldiers' clubs in NewZealand is somewhat less than it is in England, for the double reason that the men are away from home and their own people, and that the climate, in the winter, is so much more inclement. This has been fully recognised both bv the War Office and by the G.O.C, iii the United Kingdom (General ltichard-on); and the Clubs' Committee of the NewZealand; War Contingent Association has had every encouragement in this branch of its activities. The committee, which was at first under the chairmanship of llr. .T. C. N. Grigg (Longbeach), and is now under Jlr. It. Sr. Macdonald (Christchurch), has erected suitable elfibs at all of the principal camps and hospitals where New Zealand soldiers are stationed. This has been a very, considerable undertaking, involving an expenditure on buildings of more than XW.im Altogether, inclusive of equipment. The principal item of expenditure was at the convalescent camp at Ilornchurch, where obviously special measures were necessary. Alongside of the War Contingent Association are (lie V.JI.C.A. clubs, so that altogether tho New Zealand soldiers are very well looked alter. The capital expenditure, averaged over all the men who have used and will use the clubs, is a very modest charge in view of the social advantages they receive. A certain amount of it, moreover, will be recouped at the end of the war by tt»>sale of the club buildings and equipment. During tho last ten months the managers of London theatres have placed more than 10,000 free tickets at the disposal of the N.Z. War-Contingent Association for the benefit of New Zealand soldiers. Last month 7S!I tickets foi performances were distributed by t'hf association to wounded men. and only •IS of these were purchased, at a. cost ol -C 3 lis. The executive, at its last meeting, passed a resolution acknowledging the generosity of the managers. At the suggestion of Brigadier-General G. S. Richardson the N.Z. War Contingent Association is going ahead with a scheme for tilt training of men who are disabled and who are concentrated at Oatlands Hospital awaiting equipment with artificial limbs. As a nieasure_of ■ preparation -.for the industrial war after peace, France and Belgium have thrown themselves vigorously into such training, and tho results achieved have been so remarkable that South Africa and Canada ha\s followed their example. When the matter was first mooted to the New Zealand soldiers there was a certain amount ol very natural misgiving as to the way in which the training would affect the granting of pensions. Some of them feared that if at this stage they learned trades which wouTti enable them to supplement their incomes, the scaiu of pension which they would be granted would be reduced accordingly. After several discussions, however, and the assurance that they would not be penalised in this way, they look a more friendly attitude, and it is now expectcd tu start the workshops with forty men, who have formed their own local committee, with chairman and secretary. iCquipment and instructors will bo provided for the purpose of teaching fe'liorthand, typewriting, bookkeeping, saddlery, carpentry, bootmaking, etc.. and electrical switchboard work. It is General Richardson's idea that men who wish for a thorough training in mechanical motor work, electricity, etc.. shall bo attached to well-known works in the Midlands, where they will gel a propel experience and grounding. This should bo easily possible now while British industries'are so busily employed, and Ihe great advantage Of instructing men before tho war ends will be thai, they will be ready for civil life the moment they are demobilised.