EMERGENCY PLANS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 129, 3 June 1939, Page 7

EMERGENCY PLANS

WORK FOR WOMEN

RED CROSS ORGANISATION

Now that attention is being focused upon emergency precautions and preparedness for national security the question has been raised as to the part which women will play in the scheme. No organisation of that kind could be complete without the fullest cooperation of the women of New Zealand, said the Dominion secretary of the New Zealand Red Cross. Captain M. S. Galloway, today. They had more than adequately demonstrated in the past the capacity within them to exert a most powerful and helpful influence in a crisis. Particularly was this evident throughout the Great War. In fact, there was not a disasI ter in any part of the world in which women did not play a most prominent part in mitigating distress. Captain Galloway stated that he felt that women could not do better than register for service with the Red Cross organisation which was. in every country, the official auxiliary to the health and defence services. In Wellington voluntary aid detachments, both men's and women's, had been established and trained personnel was available should the..necessity arise. All desiring to help were eligible, to train and link up with this work. Adequate facilities for training were available. Over and above this work there would be ample opportunity for all to help in a crisis in the preparation of bandages and equip-, ment for hospitals, auxiliary and otherwise, in addition to knitting and sewing. There was also clerical work to perform and canteen workers, cooks, motor di'ivers, etc., would be required. The point to be emphasised was the linking up with the work so that the qualifications of the personnel would be known and they could be allocated to their respective classes without any delay. Captain Galloway added that it required no assurance from the society that all the strength within the organisation would, in the event of emergency, be immediately placed at the disposal of the Government.