MAKOGAI LEPERS.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13166, 27 January 1936, Page 3

MAKOGAI LEPERS.

NKW ZEALAND GENEROSITY. The joint trustees oi the Mak Christmas Girt Fund. Dr E . Telford and Air F J. Twomcv! have rwceived a letter from Dr C. J. Austin, superintendent of the leper Mjation. thank ills: the people of New Zealand for their generosity, and describing the pleasure which the aittgave to the sufferers at the loner station. ••The written word.” states Dr. Austin. ’ "is totally inadequate to express our appreciation of your efforts on behalf of our patients and of the generosity of our New Zealand lriends. V our appeal becomes more effective every year, and the increase tins year :s particularly welcome owlng to the increase in our numbers Ilu re lias been a total of one huno red and eiglity-four admissions dur■y- 5. i:i clud;ng natives from the C ook Islands and Samoa D-e Gilbert and Ellice Group (which is now tor the first time taking advantage ot our centralisation scheme tor the treatment of lepers) in additioti to those from Rctomn and Fiji itself. 11l spite of forty-five di--i Marges, tlu ietere. and fcwent*v-seven deaths, the number of inmates has risen from 466 to 580. You will understand then how grateful we are lor your increased contributions w ith over a. hundred extra patients to share your bounty. “I he ten days preceding Christina. were busier than ever for the sisters. Jhe six-monthly visit of rite H.H.C.S Pioneer- tt»« Governor’s yacht—bringing the patients - friends occupied two separate day, and formed a suitable introduct bn t > -b,Christmas festivities. The Pi eer also brought the X- w 'Zealand gift, and so proved a veritable Father < hristinas. '"On Christmas Eve the p tients were assembled for the dist rjl.iit 'on of gifts, and all agree,] in th. ir expression, of gratitude to tin- _enerour donors. The new patients •*roi" the Gilbert Gland were particulirlVp I cased to be here and were contrasting their present good fort urnwith their previous experiences r »f ( hristmas in their own le|>er station. I nc\ were astounded to bear of the generosity of people in New Zealand and elsewhere whom t-hev had never seen.’*