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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13785, 10 September 1915, Page 6

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GISBORNE DEFENCE COMMITTEE'S

PATRIOTIC OFFER

At a special meeting of the Defence Committee held ou Wednesday to consider the proposal to subsidise the immediate despatch of Sisters Kerr and 'Craig, of the Gisborne hospital staff to Egypt, m connection with the Volunteer Sisterhood movement, the proposal (as previously reported) was endorsed on condition that the scheme had Government approval.

Speaking to a. Herald reporter to-day, Mr J. W. Bright, Chairman of the Defence Committee, stated that wires had been despatched to the Minister of Defence, and also to Miss Rout, organising secretary. ' . > The Hon. Jas. Allen had replied that he knew nothing of Miss Rout's suggested Volunteer Sisterhood for Alexandria, and >was referring the matter to the Minister of Public Health. The Hon. G. W. Russell, Minister of Public Health, wired : "The Minister for Defence has referred to me your telegram regarding Miss Rout's suggested Volunteer Sisterhood hospital arrangements for Alexandria. All arrangements for the provision of nurses for service within New Zealand and abroad are made by my Department, and as I have far more certificated nurses trained m the public hospitals offering for service than are likely to be required, I cannot m any way countenance the proposals which you mention. I understand Miss Rout realises the position and has abandoned her scheme."

Miss Rout's reply was as follows : — "Government has accepted tho services of 30 volunteers for New Zealand military hospital as from August 26. These having local training, will be offered to Imperial authorities m Alexandria. New .Zealand has no base" hospital m Egypt. We will certainly send our volunteers abroad with Sisters Kerr and Craig m charge."

Mr Bright went on to say that had ■the scheme met wi£h the approval of the Government, these two ladies, who were most qualified, were prepared to devote at least a year of their lives free and to surrender tempoa-arilv any. official status they held, and to take the status nrovided/by Miss Rout's scheme, whilst the Defence Committee was willing (o pay them £100 each for the year's^ maintenance, and possibly other expenses,, bringing the amount-up to £300. The G6vernment, by the telegram quoted above, had simply told the committee that they did not want any assistance m the matter. He could not understand it, as nurses were apparently urgent. Tt was nothing short of a bar' to future offers of assistance.