EX-SERVICEMEN

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 78, 2 April 1935, Page 11

EX-SERVICEMEN

RED CROSS HELP WORK EXTENDED J ANNUAL BEVIEW : r "Year by year our work has been ; quietly and unostentatiously carried ) on, and, I venture to say, has made no i small contribution to the promotion of - the well-being and comfort of the sick I and wounded ex-servicemen under £ treatment," said Mr. L. O. H. Tripp at 31 the annual meeting this afternoon of £ the Dominion Council of the New Zea- ] land branch of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St. John. i "With the lapse of time, in addition ' to.the economic difficulties with which | the world in general has been faced, ; and which have had their repercus--1 sion in this Dominion, the stress and strain among ex-servicemen and ! their dependants has progressively be- \ come more acute," added Mr. Tripp. :, "To meet this, the society has widely extended its ministrations, and will re- * quire to do so if those whose interests ! we are seeking to promote are'to be spared the anxieties which failing . health and difficult economic condi- [ tions entail." 1 INCREASE OF PATIENTS. It would be noted in the annual 1 report, he said, from the figures given t in reference to patients in hospital t and sanatoria, that the numbers the ■ society had cared for during the year, ' as compared with- the previous year, t had increased by no less than 710. I Following the customary practice, the ! I work had extended to all ex-service-men, irrespective of whether thfey were in receipt of a pension or not. This accounted for the disparity between the figures supplied by the Pensions Department and the cases dealt with through the society. In the provision of comforts to these cases supplemental to their ordinary treatment the sum of £3194 lls lOd had been expended. CONVALESCENT HOMES. Regarding the convalescent homes, of which there were three under the society's control, the average number of patients under treatment was slightly higher than in the previous year. The purchase and control of these homes had been justified, not only for the treatment of cases suffering more or less permanent disability, but in fulfilling a valuable purpose from a medical point of view in that manycases were committed to them during the year for observation. The respective centres under whose jurisdiction these homes were run continued to niake the atmosphere of the institution —that of a home rather than1 that of a hospital. Everything possible was done for the patients, and apart from the ordinary treatment extra comforts were given. During the year, following the setting up of a joint council, the sum of £3303 15s lid had been released to that body, and from the statements received much valuable work had been carried out by the Order of St.- John and the New Zealand Red Cross Society for the benefit of ex-servicemen and their dependants. A further sum of £515 15s 9d was available for release to the joint council in furtherance of its work, and would be paid over at an early date. . EX-IMPEKIAL MEN. 1 During the year a further grant of £250, which appreciated through exchange to £311 17s 4d, was paid over by the joint war finance-committee in England and released to the society by the joint council. The money in turn was allocated to the Auckland, Wellington, and Canterbury centres, the balance being held at headquarters for Otago, that centre having unexpended the grant of the previous allocation. The fund, though small, had served a particularly useful purpose in relieving the lot- of ex-Imperial men and their dependants, -for whom, apparently, little provision had been made so far by the Imperial authorities. This fund was ear-marked specifically for ex-Imperial men suffering distress in consequence of their war disability and excluded those who were in difficulty from ' ordinary economic causes. EATING INTO CAPITAL. The report and balance-sheet, incorporating all centres, showed that the year had witnessed a still further inroad into the capital resources. In consequence of the difficult financial period through which the country was passing, some of the society's assets, whilst probably 100 per cent, secure, were not readily realisable, which complicated the work of some centres in carrying ori. All centres continued in their operations to maintain the-closest co-opera-tion with the National War Funds Council, the War Relief Association, the Returned Soldiers' Association, and other patriotic and relief organisations. In that way overlapping was eliminated. To the executive and officers of these respective bodies the society tendered appreciation of their helpful assistance. Warm, thanks was returned to the general public for its continued support. The services of the hon. solicitors, Messrs. Young, Courtney, Bennett, and Virtue, and the hon. auditors, Messrs. Watkins, Hull, Wheeler, and Johnston, as in past years, still merited the society's appreciation; alscf the Press for its interest in the society's work and the publicity given. To Mr. C: G. White the society extended sincere acknowledgment for his many courtesies and legal advice.