THE RED CROSS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10063, 30 August 1918, Page 6

THE RED CROSS

ITS WORK IN THE WAR MINISTER’S, EFFECTIVE Al’l’EAL FOR HELP. (Special to the “Times.’ ) MASTERTON, August 29. One of the most stirring addresses on war subjects over heard in JVlasterton was delivered this afternoon by the Hon. T. M. Wilford before the Wairarapa Patriotic Association, when the Minister dealt..with the work of. the Red Cross. “The expenditure on Red Cross work to-day i s estimated at -£S per minute," he said. “Your money will restore soldiers to health, it will lighten the burdens of those valiant-hearted women who, bearing the emblem of the Reel Cross, are spending their days in the roar of the-battlefields alleviating pain, soothing agony, —and . binding those gaping wounds whoso awful ghastliness makes even strong men shudder. The men who ’ have fought for you will surely not he denied assistance which comes from your giving outside of France, viz., in-Great Britain. 83,000 bod s for our hero boys have been found by the Red Cross-, 56,000 of these liavo been provided with nursing staffs; £44,000 has been snent on 1850 beds in St. George’s Hospital, and £26,000 earmarked for maintenance there. Forty-six thousand pounds have boon spent on the building and equipping of Netloy Hospital, and £1.60.000 spent on maintenance; also £35,600 for orthopaedic curative workshops, £750.000 for facia! injury hospitals, £750.000 for equipping after-cure institutions for totally disabled, and £560 000 o>r materials for Red Cross working parties. The growth of the British armies in every theatre of war calls for money. In 1915 the Red Cross received ARSIS,99S, and expended £1.691.230. and had a credit of £221.765 T- imp ORed Cross received £3,064,232, and expended £1.815,353, and had a. credit of £4.248.879. In 1917 the Red Cross received £3.474.562, and expended £3.673.355, and had a deficiency of .£197,793. A sum of £1,460,000 has been spent for the purchase and upkeep or motors, while four hospital trains running in France, each carrying 45'

wounded, have cost £600,000 to build and run. The cost of the 'central prisoners of war fund controlled by the Rod Cross for 1917 and 1918 is estimated at one million pounds—more than one-fourth of last year’s revenue.” At a subsequent meeting, the. Wairarapa Patriotic Association decided to donate £IO,OOO to the Red Cross fund.