ST. JOHN AMBULANCE

Otago Witness, Issue 3275, 20 December 1916, Page 6

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE

'—<!> COMFORTS FOR NEW ZEALAND WOUNDED. Mr J. E. Bono, secretary of the Dunedin branch of the St. John Ambulance Association, has received a letter from Lord Ranfurly, director of the ambulance department of the association at Home, in the following terms: — "I have pleasure in acknowledging receipt of cheque for £SOO, which has been handed on to me by the chief secretary for the New Zealand wounded in British hospitals for the purpose of giving them extra comforts. "I have written to Sfir St. Clair Thompson by to-day's post, and have- asked him for any suggestion which ho could mako regarding tho expenditure of this money. I may say that I am in constant communication with Colonel Parkes, of the New Zealand Headquarters, and am sending almost whatever is asked for in the shape of comforts to all tho New Zealand hospitals in this country, and I have also written to the Now Zealand Hospital in Franco with a view to finding out what comforts they lequircd, but I have had a reply to the effect that they have money in hand, but wiH let me know when they do require anything. "I shall write you a letter some months hence informing you more or loss how this sum has been expended. When I say 'more or less,' I mean that it has been credited by mo to a similar fund I have in hand of money I have received from various sources for tho provision of extra comforts and luxuries for Now Zealand sick and wounded, and all is beiriL' expended for the same purpose as you wish. "As regards the shipment of goods to tho New Zealand War Contingent Association, I will send them on tho list, as they work entirely independently of us and our warehouse, and so we do not hear of what use they have made of tho goods. ''lt may interest you to know that, thanks to tho St. John Ambulance Brigade,_ Wellington, I have been able to provide a large amount of comforts for New Zealand sick and wounded who are leaving for New Zealand on the next boat. They sent £IOO for comforts, etc., for the men returning on this boat, and I have arranged for fresh fruit to be procured at all ports en route, and have placed a really good gramophone and records, and a largo number of games and other things, including tobacco and cigarettes, on board, and have sent Colonel Elliott, who is in command of tho boat, a cheque for £SO to pay for tho supplies taken on board at tho various porta they may touch. "Every other thing they have asked for bas also boon supplied, including 100 deck ohairs, which in these times I do not ft el certain will reach the boat before its de-

parture, and many pairs of pyjamas, shirts, handkerchiefs, and other sundries, but as 1 do not class these as comforts, they have come out of our joint fund, and not out of tho fund given by the Wellington Ambulance Brigade. "1 only mention this to you with a view to your seeing how money which comes to tho Order of St. John is expended—i.e., exactly in the manner for which it is earmarked. "I can assure you we most heartily appreciate the confidence and support given us by both tho brigade and association overseas."