IMPASSE AT MEETING

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4802, 26 June 1939, Page 5

IMPASSE AT MEETING

RED CROSS SOCIETY. OPPOSITION BY ST. JOHN MEMBERS. NO ROOM FOR BOTH BODIES. Ninety per cent, of those who attended the meeting called at the request of the Director General of the Red Cross Society, Mr. Ira Bridger, to form a branch of the Society in Te Kuiti, belonged to the St. John Ambulance Society, and no action was taken in regard to the formation of a Red Cross unit in Te Kuiti. The Deputy Mayor, Mr. T. M. Hetet, presided over the meeting, which was held in the Municipal Chambers. After being introduced, Mr. Bridger said that as the meeting consisted almost entirely of members of the St. John Ambulance, a body which was engaged in humanitarian work as was the Society he represented, he did not feel disposed to proceed with his address. He had been told that St. John members were there for the purpose of opposing the formation of a Red Cross branch in Te Kuiti. He could not understand their fear. If it was because they were frightened of the Red Cross usurping their work, he could dissuade them on that point. The Society did not wish to overlap its work in any way, but if there was a war or national disaster, neither the St. John Ambulance nor the Society could cope with it. However, apparently the people of Te Kuiti did not want the Red Cross, and all he hoped therefore was that they would carry on wholeheartedly with the St. John work.

“The Superintendent of the St. John Association has informed me that he brought along a team to oppose my Society being formed, and it looks as if they will 'defeat any resolution to form a new body,” he said. “One humanitarian work opposing another —it is unthinkable. There should be the fullest co-operation between two such bodies.”

When Mr. Bridger had concluded, Mr. W. McNaught asked if he might say a few words.

Mr. Bridger said he had closed the meeting—though it was a public meeting he had called it himself and he claimed the right to close it. However, he raised no further objection while Mr. McNaught stated that the St. John Ambulance Association held the greatest respect for the humanitarian work carried out by the Red Cross Society; the question was simply one whether there was room for two such organisations, doing practically the same work, in a small town like Te Kuiti. The St. John Association had experienced the greatest difficulty in commencing work —for two years only two men had been available for public duty, and the starting of a rival organisation would be definitely against the interests of both bodies.

Mr. Bridger then suggested that those who were interested in the formation of a Red Cross Society branch might stay behind after the meeting had closed and the St. John men had departed. A speaker strongly criticised this, pointing out that a public meeting had been called for a definite purpose and consideration should be given by the full meeting to that purpose. Mr. W. McNaught suggested that if anyone wanted to train in first aid or home nursing, Mr. Bridger might refer them to the St. John Association.

Mr. Bridger said that his original intention had been to suggest that a committee be formed with representations of both organisations to coordinate the work.

The meeting then adjourned, a number, many being members of the St. John Association, remaining to talk the matter over informally with Mr. Bridger.