CITIZENS' DEFENCE COMMITTEE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15132, 3 February 1920, Page 2

CITIZENS' DEFENCE COMMITTEE

ts^ forfcni & ht 'y meeting of the' Citizens' Defence Committee, was held .yesterday afternoon. There were present: The Mayor Mf Q. , -Wildish), m the chair, Mesai^ J. B. BroadhUi-at, G. B. Oman, R.M. Birrell, J. Berry, tf. White, AX Lange, G. Darton, J. Nesbitt, Ar M, Wallis, and G.W. Humphreys. J • The medical superintendent's reply to a letter from the D.G .M.S. to the committee, forwarded to . Dr. Ross, for his remarks, after reviewing: • specific, cases quoted, said that tho only conclusion was that tlie D.G.M.S.'s statement that they had provided special hospitals to meet 'the Cases was not correct, as m every case j there was unjustifiable delay. .'"lf I treated the public- m a shpilar w^y, t here," commented the doctor, "and refused to admit patients for • weeks and months . pending a vacant bed, what • would be the result?" The hospital was used as a kind -of boardhigThome, and las soldier patients had to- be detained there until a transfer conld Tbe obtained to a special hospital it diet not place the Cook Hospital m. a position io carry out | satisfactory : .tresatmeiifc, , as. the patient (might go away any day. . I tfhe Mayor-, considered . strong action was necessary m the matter aud"" a forceful resolution should bo. passed, | f Mr Humphreys said that' a groat injus- * lice was, -done... to.. the ,nw-u byv. keeping them for . : two months ai the hospital without getting admitted.', to- the.' 'special hospital for the treatment they Squired. If .the committee had -not moved. iv the oase of oue man he would probably still be at the hospital* Another man had been.- io disgusted at the', treatment : at the : Defence Department's hamts r that ho', had left the institution". to seek treatment, himself. The men arrived at the hospital shattered. The delays had been going on for a long,, time. It was not ; right and the Defence Department should |He advised of -.the strong exception the Committee took to their treatment of the. men. Ho moved' that a cop^ : of .the medical - superintendent's letter . %Ul a strong protest be sent to" the. Government. ■•'.''•'.■'. Mr G,. B. Oman seconded the motion, which was unanimously, carried. | The Advisory Boa id of the' Federation ,of Ke>v Zealand Patriotic War Relief Societies' advised that a meeting would bo held towards the, end of February for the purpose, of considering the question pf assistance to totally and partially disabled soldiers, and also proposals for the utilisation of the balance of .patriotic funds. The Board asked for. rehiits and as that same, dedree- of uniformity- is desirable throughout the- -Dominion, it »was suggested thafcr contemplated action on the two questions bet dof erred. until they

haye been considered by the conference.. In the event of Mr R. M; Birreil, the committee's delegate, not being- able to attend, he was empowered to appoint a , substitute. The question of -remits was , deferred until next; meeting when it was hoped that the finance committee's report would be tabled. 7 a' 7a '• .The. egg question' was again discussed. The Mayor explained that , tJio ppsition now was that tho eggs' wo**e held by soldiers and wore collected' from them' iii the ward ' and cooked by the- : hospital. Mr. Humphreys suggested 7thafc the matter should be allowed .to di-op as j thfene was nothing ih the allegations that had* been made. A '' I Mr Lange said that the whole thing had been a mistake, and the allegations previously made were unfounded. I "•■Tlus Mayor moved that the matter , stfi^id m abeyance until a letter was ro- ' ceived from the Hospital Tfcoard.— Carried. . . ...*.". _..'--.

I A Soldier m hospital applied for funds !'to.i]bpy 'a .suis.. of clothes. Ho was only ( allow.od about £2 out of v £6 '"• a' month pension and it was not sufficient to keep [him, going. The balance vvr&s held by [the. Government. The Tlrfayor.. characterised vthe Government's ao'tion^s a hardship.. It was decided; to le^y^jtha matter 'to'-' the- claims 'committee 'to.; attend to. Ifc was stated that the Defence;. ComInnltfcee's offices after) Wednesday will be , m Lowe Street, in7 SherrJaitfe's; M^dii'igs. 7 A; returned soldier^^Jfpiha^.JpSfc^.leg, waited on the Con%jfc,tee--wiyi'7aT>req^esfc for assistance tb^ibuy'-. f uf' i^tura^Tf o^ ' «a home he was starting. Ha, .^ouj^ get, £50 from the Repatriation Conpni_fcee, M which wqujd hardly 7 furnish •'" one /toon*.— Tlfe .Mayor advised*' thej soldier tp.get what he c,Qpld from fchevßepafcriatidri Committee and* then apprpa^h^.-the Defence.. K Cpm T mittee, when he, wo'uld-gefc' favorable con-gider-tttion. i-.'x-7 - -.->-. • .