THE SISTERS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 102, 1 May 1919, Page 3

THE SISTERS

NEW ZEALAND AiLMV NT RAILS

WELCOMED IN WELLINGTON

Un the Tainiui, which arrived in New Zeeland or.. Tuesday, there were 37 member?, of the New ZevAud Army N'unir.ft Cervice.’ Ihie n *.h/? A'.-r; :i ’;trbody -to reterr. to th: Den-.irvior. v.v.d tlio.-cccvnon cfforc-'-d c'vi opp’>t*tuni '.xtei/J.ne (• v.o'.cotr.e —thuvgh ino •T----r..uvs , ard • a" many why xeiurfied previously a-. oyner bo pre —to the whelp of th' ;V‘ 1 y Nmringl Service. between, lO and (it, n arses., wore entertained .by Sir .James Alien. Minirtbr Ahr DefehAht "Vf Del* iumyA. Ministers of tiro Crown^ who me in Wellington, were present, ..with their wives. Miffs' M'Lean (Matron-in-Chicf), Major-GeT.'oral Sir Alfred Robin. Captain HalKThompshn, (Naval Advisor), Colonel,C. M. .Gibson, Colonel Furay, and tho M-wcrcof;, (Mrs Luke). Sir lames Allen raid how glad tt..e/ were to have with them the ether nttr* res who had returned, imriior. He » 'shea parti rtTbtly •to thank bliss hi' Loan «•»'! all members of the New . c-u-ind ' e Nursing Staff for the splendid work they had done during the whole war period., He knew how r much the public of New Zealand, .especially the next-of-kin of those at the front, had valued the knowledge that kindly, sympathetic women of New Zealand, who knew how to do the work, Wore nursing their lads at the front.. He knew from the boys who came back in what high esteem they held the .ladies of the N.Z.A.N.S. “The country is grateful to you, 1 am grateful to you, and every soldier is grateful to you frr what you have done. You will not mind my saying that the work is not vet done. The centre m gravity has shifted from England ami Era nee to New Zealand. Jhe bulk of our sick and wounded are now in hospital in New Zealand. They required attention, and the country wished to give them, that attention, Dull Attic could Tm done without the help "of the

nurses. Some of the 'nurses would perhaps go K biK'k ,to thpir ain| would bo bettor for the experience gained in the military service, _ but some of them would be "required still in the Array Nursing Service, and lie knew they would not •dessert' the wound-’ ed soldiers. ITlhp lie ' ex’.poctod, would b( as to who should remain, ond,- it< vwvdd'-bte»vdr.w;>-(iiitiu.’ult i ' 4Vuv .Miss M■‘Lea.fi tt> make a selection ’of The* (rest when, they were all so good. Some mrr&es, not on the Tainuji lie believed, had come back sick. He hoped’ they would be restored,to loalth speedily, as tire country wished to see them strong, and it needed their ft r‘vices in the civil hospitals, where i/ay were short of muses. It aas i great satisfaction, to the people of New Zealand to know that the reputation rained, by the New Zealand Dni-ion in. France, by the mounted men in Palestine, and by New Zealand soldiers "wherever they had gone had 1 ' been equalled, if not excelled, by the reputation of the New Zealand Army Service. He knew from Egypt, England, and elsewhere that a New Zealand, _matron or sister was always wanted if she could be obtain, d. It was to the credit of those woo I~d gone tjmt they had made ibis g,cat name for the. .women, of New Zealand. “We ate glad to have you i,ack in j health and A length again, we rejoice to have you with us, and 1 we thank you very much fur what you have done.” (Applause.) M.s.;. MT-ean, in a neat speech, expressed how much the nurses appreciated the fad that the New Zealand 'Government, had allowed them to g> and tiuuse. 'their (own. sick r>vd - w<Amded. Many of 'them had also been nursing the soldiers of . ait the Allied forces. It was j work which all themmrsee in New. Zealand would have been glad to undertake, had 1 they been permitted to. j She did not think any sister wanted for military hospitals would hold back. (Some of them had met their fate and 1 come back married; others were engaged. Those they would lose, but she was quite sure there would be sufficient 10 carry on the work as military , sisters until they were, no longer re- 1 quired.