SOLDIERS' COMFORTS

Evening Star, Issue 15968, 23 November 1915, Page 4

SOLDIERS' COMFORTS

IN DISTANT HOSPITALS.

A GRANT OF £2.000.

Y.M.C.A.'S SERVICES ACCEPTED.

An important feature of a special meeting of the Otago Patriotic and General Welfare Association this forenoon was a decision to grant £2,000 lor the provision of comforts for wounded and sick soldiers at Mediterranean and English, hospitals, and to accent an offer of the National Committee of Uie Young Men's Christian Association to distribute comforts m Eirynt.

A deputation from the Y.M.C.A. wailed on the association and explained their oner.

-Mr 11. K. "Wilkinson said that the gentlemen of the deputation represehted the national Committee <>£ the Y.M.C.A.. and the national work was quite apart from local work. The Y.M.C.A. at the present time bad no Ws than 1,000 camps m Great Pritaiu, 60 in Elanders and I ranee. ;md there was a remarkable organisation right, through. Egypt. The deputation came, forward to offer the services of the Y.M.C.A. for the purpose. _ of being a medium for the distribution of comforts, that, the Patriotic Association were likely to fend. And. he thought, in offering the services of their association to the Patriot in Association _they thought that the members, of that bodv could not fail to appreciate the fact that, thev would be getting a service second to none for the work they required done. The. A.M.C.A. oi-.iranisaiiou was suck that he felt satisfied that the Patriotic Association would .get the work done in the most economical way possible, and get it done eonsei"utiouslv and well.

_Mr W. Ci. Jamie-on (chairman of the National Committee! said that it was underfeed that the Patriotic .Association were prepared to send a. ecrl.a.in amount of money forward to Kcvpt to provide- comforts, and. the Y.M.C.A. as "an organisation were prepared to spend ihe mnnev on behalf of ihe Patriotic Association.' Tt, would be spent .-oielv for the benefit of the men there. The- chief aim of the Y.M.C.A. was to serve. As a matter of "fact if had been praciienilv arranged that two members of the executive would go to Kgvpf at their own expense, to put even-thing on a busiuos* footing. Mr \\ . TT. Oeerge < vice-chairman! emphasised the fact, ibat the need was urgent and immediate. Tti" whole of the work was for the benefit.of the bovs.

Ihe matter came ~,, •-,,,. consideration laier on. wdien it was <hc ided to accent with thanks the offer of the Y.M.C.A. '

The Soldiers and Dependents' Welfare. Committee recommended that the association should vote a sum of monev to the fund for (be benefit of Xew ' Z'.ui-la.nd wounded soldiers in the hospitals at Home Mr P. 11. Sare-ood moved: That a mum ni £I.OOO be ai once.

v cabled to the Xew Zealand War Oontiu-e-ent of which Lord Pluukelt ts ciciirman. to h<, used at their sr>le discretion tor providing comforts for Otago soldier* or sailors'who mav bo in London from causes connected 'with their military responsibilities.

Mr Savguod said the. War Contingent Association was formed at the. heginhimr of the wvr. Thr- need for comforts «;is great in the hospitals in Egypt and England. b

Mr C. Speight, in seconding. kuiil that tiie matter had been considered hv the last meetiivg of the Welfare Committee, and while the committee wore anxious to see help sent (hey thought instructions should be iriven oy the executive. The motion was carried. Mr S.-iryc-nl then moved further That the, sum of £I.OOO he remitted to an agent in Egypt to be v=cd by tiio chaplains' department or through other properly-constituted authority for the relic! and comfort of our wounded and invalided men. i n hospital attached to the New Zealand forces in the East.

Mr Sa.r-o( K l said that the need here was also urgent. They heard from all sources that- -the men were not "-ett'ne comforts .-Jiich as- one. would like "to Ve« them getting. Mr ,1. A. Johnstone seconded.

The question w;« raised as to whether the Soldiers." Welfa.ro Committee should not administer the funds.

.Air «. bolomon. K.C., moved as an amendment that the question of send in" the sum mentioned be referred to the Soldiers' Committee.

Mr Begg seconded this amendment, winch was> can-ted.

Finally the Rev. IE *. (h- ilv move?!, and. it was aareed, that, the money should be renntte<) through th.c Y.M.C.A.