A MISUNDERSTANDING

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10137, 27 November 1918, Page 9

A MISUNDERSTANDING

The Rev. S. Robertson Orr made file following statement to a “Times reporter relative to tho attitude o business houses towards releasing employees for hospital work. He said: We would like to clear up a misunderstanding that is dealt with in your paper of the 22nd inst., where you say that “much indignation has been created amongst the heads of large business firms at the statement made by the Bov. S. Robertson Orr that they are unsympathetic with regard to lending the aid of employees for hospital work.” What was said was not at all a general statement. Our statement was this: “Wo cannot say by any means that we have an abundance of workers for. hospitals. The need just now is very pressing'indeed for more volunteers, and it is a matter of great surprise that ‘some’ large business firms are so very reluctant to offer any assistance in this regard.” So that the statement was not general by any means and was made from the experience of Thursday, November 21st. At that time we were working the Normal School with five V.A.D.. nurses, on a t.wolyodiour shift whereas there'are sixteen on ah eighthour shift now. There was a lack of adequate help also in Sydney street and also for the homes. So great was the lack that we were nearly distracted as to what we would do about the appeals. We felt, therefore, that the need was not known sufficiently, or our appeal through the paper and through individuals would have been responded to ton greater degree. This situation altered By- Friday, the 22nd, and in the paper in which you published a denial there occurred this paragraph as the result of pur experience of Friday, the 22nd: “Our efforts among business people in this, regard met with better success, as many business firms readily receiv- | ed our appeal for workers and willingly released some of their staff. Messrs Kirkcaldie and. Stains have gone as far as to close up in order to release workers, ajid other firms have since follow- 1 ed their example.” This applied to Messrs Veitch and Allan as well as to other firms, so that the statement we published on the 22nd was published'upon evidence that is irrefutable. If those who are concerned about the matter will come to me 1 will give them the evidence upon which this statement was based when I said that “some” large business firms were very reluctant to release workers. We hope that this will serve to clear up any misunderstanding that may have existed. We are quite ready to admit that many firms did not know the need that existed in the first few days, but when they did know it they responded to it magnificently. We cannot be grateful enough to those firms who came to our aid, nor to .the many business' men who < closed down their business and came themselves to help us in Wellington North and in other places. That tho rat is tho groat cause, if not the only cause, of tho dreadful disease called infantile paralysis is suggested by Dr Mark W. Richardson, a distinguished Boston physician, in a paper read by him before the Association of American Physicians recently and embodied in the “American Journal of Public Health.” Dr Richardson’s suggestions are based upon wide experimentation since the terrifying New York City epidemic of 1916.