VOLUNTEER SISTERHOOD

Otago Witness, Issue 3214, 20 October 1915, Page 70

VOLUNTEER SISTERHOOD

PUBLIC HEALTH MINISTER’S STATEMENT. GOVERNMENT ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY. CHRISTCHURCH, October 16. The Hon. G. W. Russell to-day made a statement praising the work done by the v olunteer Sisterhood, but denying that the Government recognised the organisation or was in any way responsible for looking after the nurses who join. “I was surprised,” the Minister said, “to see statements in the newspapers that a number of ladies would leave New Zealand as members of the organisation to nurse at the front. Miss Rout (honorary secretary of the sisterhood) was assured that no untrained ladies would bo sent forward. I wish to say that these ladies go without any authority from the Public Health Department, and in defiance of the wishes of the Government. Further, the Government accepts no responsibility* with regard to those who go. It is impossible to allow white women to go to the front for the purpose of undertaking a class of duties which entirely devolve upon the coloured races. If these duties are undertaken by white women, the white race would suffer greatly in regard to what we in New Zealand call its mana. If this movement is persisted in I shall excercise the powers vested in me as Minister in charge _of national war funds with a view to putting matters on a proper footing.” Miss Rout, replying to the Minister, eays his objections are incomprehensible. She_ is sure the need exists for female hospital orderlies in Egypt and elsewhere. The Imperial War Office has issued a demand for 200 female orderlies for Malta. On Surgeoncolonel Valintine’s figures there are 3000 sick and wounded New Zealanders in Egypt, requiring 600 nurses. At present New Zear land has only 186 nurses abroad. MISS ROUT IN REPLY. (Feqm Oub Own Coeeespondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, October 7. Miss E. A. Rout (honorary secretary of the Volunteer Sisterhood) says she has not the slightest intention of altering the arrangements made for the despatch of volunteer women by the Manuka and the Medina because of the conflict of authority between the Health Department and the Defence Department. On September 15 the following telegram was received by Miss Rout:— “Hon. Mr Allen will undertake to remit money and dispose of same as directed, accounting for it to senders. Sisters must travel at own expense, but Mr Allen will be pleased to give introductions to authorities in Egypt.” This offer was accepted unconditionally by' Miss Rout, and the Hon. Mr Allen has confirmed it by receiving from Miss Rout, personally, on October 12, the sum of £2OO for specific volunteer women, Miss Rout being directed from the Ministerial office to Mr Rodda, the officer in charge of financial arrangements at the Expeditionary branch of the Defence Department. Later these arrangements wore inquired into by the honorary secretary of the Volunteer Sisterhood and- the matron, and found to be sufficient and satisfactory. The position of the Hon. Mr Allen all along has been that the matter of going out to Egypt is entirely one for the volunteers to decide for themselves, inasmuch as they go out unofficially, and not officially. As to whether or not the services of Volunteer Sisters will be acceptable in Egypt, these considerations are relevant: —Firstly, the Imperial War Office has just issued an order for 200 volunteer women—that is, so-called untrained nurses; secondly, 10 volunteer women left Wanganui several weeks ago, in charge of a trained nurse, and we have not yet heard of their expulsion from Egypt; thirdly, three women who joined the Volunteer Sisterhood in Wellington—one a trained nurse and two untrained —went out to Egypt at their own expense months ago as scouts, and they are now in service in a military hospital. Their experience confirms and justifies the wisdom and necessity of sending out this larger contingent, gathered from all over New Zealand. They will be asked to report to Colonel Rhodes, who, as Assistant Minister of Defence, was most courteous and encouraging to the Volunteer Sisters whilst he was in Now Zealand. If necessary, Miss Rout states that she is quite prepared to go aboard the Medina with the volunteer contingent.