WAR WORK IN LONDON

Southland Times, Issue 17877, 5 September 1918, Page 6

WAR WORK IN LONDON

NEW ZEALAND SOCIETIES. NEW ARRANGEMENT EXPLAINED. The following has been received from Mr I. W. Raymond, writing from London by the last mail, as a fair statement of the position in regard to the relations between the New Zealand War Contingent Association and the New Zealand Red Cross:— “Since August, 1914, the New Zealand' War Contingent Association has done splendid work for the comfort of the men of the New Zealand Expeditionary' Force, both wounded and well. About eighteen months ago the New Zealand Red Cross expressed the wish to supply funds for sick and wounded, and the War Contingent Association was appointed their London agent. This agency continued until quite recently, when, under a mutual arrangement, it came to an end. Shortly after the retirement of. Lord Piunket, Mr I. W. Raymond, who hrfU been elected his successor, also held the chairmanship of the Red Cross Committee. This had the effect of co-ordinating the work between the two committees, so that the maximum amount of benefit was secured under the joint forces. ■ “Mr Raymond at once reorganised the Red Cross, arranging for it to take over from the military (Gifts Section) the work for the hospitals, and the control of the Red Cross depot at Southampton, also until then in charge of the Gifts Section. Depots were provided at the various hospitals in the charge of a quartermaster, and stocked with all the necessary comforts that might be required. Many other matters of detail njpre settled all contributing to the smooth running of the organisation. “General Richardson, as a matter of fact, has expressed his warm approval of the administration generally. For some lime past, however, there have been indications that the Earl o( Liverpool, president of the New Zealand Red Cross Executive, desired more prominence in the Dominion for the Red Cross work. Colonel Rhodes was therefore sent to London to see what could he done. He arrived to find the organisation all that it could be, except that it hail not a separate office and did not receive that prominence in the Dominion to which its work was entitled to. Negotiations to obviate this have been proceeding for some time. “The lack of publicity was a fault for which the Executive in New Zealand was entirely responsible, because monthly reports were transmitted to the head office, Wellington, giving full details of all that was being done; hut these reports on arrival in the Dominion were evidently pigeon-holed and not even distributed to the various branches, so it is no wonder that there was some little irritation at the other end, “The outcome of the negotiations has been the reconstitution of the committee of the Red Cross, that committee taking over the members of the War Contingent Association’s Executive Committee, thus giving those members an equal interest in the work of both organisations. Mr Raymond remain? chairman of the War Contingent As sociation, and Colonel Rhodes becomes : chairman of the Red Cross. A point that I was fought for veiy strenuously was the ; right of the new commit tee to elect its own ; chairman, as a majority desired Mr Rayj mond still to remain chairman of the Red 1 Cross committee. This, however, was settled !in New Zealand by the Earl of Liverpool ! cabling, electing Colonel Rhodes. The Asso--1 ciation retains control over the various clubs and recreation rooms at the hospitals, j and the entertainment of all sick, wounded, | and fit men, so that it has still a big field j of work in which to continue its splendid 1 activities.’’