PATRONAGE WITHDRAWN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20468, 21 January 1930, Page 12

PATRONAGE WITHDRAWN.

THE RED CROSS SOCIETY. DISPUTE WITH ASSOCIATION. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] DUNEDIN, Monday. The Press Association message from Wellington stating that the GovernorGeneral, Sir Charles Fergusson, and Lady Alice Fergusson have withdrawn their patronage from the organisation operating as the New Zealand branch of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St. John, commonly known as the Red Cross Society, has come as a surprise to those connected with the Red Cross Society in Dunedin, and it may fairly be assumed that Their Excellencies' withdrawal is in the nature of a protest against, the stand taken by the society in its long-continued dispute with the. St. John Ambulance Association.

The Red Cross Society was a purely wartime organisation. Its work was to look after soldiers on active service, and also when they returned to New Zealand. During the war the Red Cross Society and the St. John Ambulance Association worked together and collected a largo amount of money in New Zealand. In addition thq Red Cross Society received a considerable amount of money from Eng land.

The Red Cross Society is now in possession of an amount running into many thousands of pounds, and the St. John Ambulance Association claims that it should have some voice in the spending of this sum. The Red Cross Society, however, holds that it has no right to such claim. Tl>e two bodies worked together in the spending of the money gathered in New Zealand, but (he society says that the association has no right to the control and spending of the money sent from England.

On the other'hand, the association has asked for equal representation on tho executive of the Red Cross Society, hut this has always been refused. The association, moreover, states that after the war ended the society commenced what are termed peace-time activities, such as the appointing of nurses and carrying on of _ health lectures. The association claims that in this work the society has usurped tho function of tho association.

is stated that in an attempt to settle the dispute between tho two bodies,'both ot them working in philanthropic interests, two arbitrators were appointed by tho Red Cross Society and two by tho St. John Ambulance Association, with Mr. A. Gray, K.C., of Wellington, as umpire. What decision this tribunal has reached is not so far known in Dunedin. Although Their Excellencies have withdrawn their patronage from the Red Cross Society, no intimation has been received that they" have withdrawn their patronage from the St. John Ambulance Association. Probably their drastic action may hasten the day when the society and the association will cease wrangling and work together in the philanthropic interests of the Dominion.