WAITOA

Te Aroha News, Volume XXXIII, Issue 15695, 10 November 1915, Page 2

WAITOA

“ RED CROSS *'■ , LECTURE In spite of the stormy day last Thursday a few of the Red Cross workers ventured out. Afternoontea was supplied by Mrs Paddy. Collection ss, donations received: Mr Otto Bjerring £\ 10s, Mrs W- Luxton 4(1, Mrs Taylor ss, Mr I. Wolff, 4s, Mr Fred Evans 2s 6d, Mr Ken McNaul 2s. ' ’ On Monday evening under the auspices of the Red Cross, an appreciative audience assembled in the Hall, which was tastefully decorated with flags and flowers, to hear Mrs Parkes, whose husband Lieut.-Col. Parkes is in charge of the New Zealand General Hospital in Cairo, give, a most graphic account of the work of the Army and Medical Corps atthe front. —. Mr F. C. Hansen was in thelßkir and Mesdames Forsyth were also on the platform. \ Mrs Parkes illustrated from charts the work of bringing in the wounded from the firing line to the Stationary Hospital, The history of medical attendance in the field dates only from the last decade of last century, and it was owing to a woman, Florence Nightingale, that the medical branch of the service is what it is to-day. The speaker then went on to explain in detail the general or-, ganisation and work of the corps. The work is not half over, ‘she said, and there is need of greater effort than ever on the part of the Red Cross workers, “If our nation fails in its care for the sick and wounded then it fails in one of the greatest trusts ever imposed upon it." The number of beds in the New Zealand Egyptian Hospital has increased from 200 to 850 and yet the New Zealand wounded have to go to an Australian Hospital which they do not like doing. The collection was to aid the equipment of our Egyptian Hospital. This costs £IOO per month. ; is

Mr Hansen moved a hearty vote of dhanks which was carried by acclamation. 1 The collection amounted to £6 0s 6d and Mrs Parkes expressed her gratification at the liber, ality of the Waitoa people.