RED CROSS SOCIETY

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 58, Issue 4190, 29 May 1939, Page 8

RED CROSS SOCIETY

OPPOSITION RESENTED. BRANCH FORMED IN HAMILTON. Considerable opposition,. largely from members of St. John Ambulance Association, met the formation of a branch of the New Zealand Red Cross Society in Hamilton last Thursday evening. A public meeting was addressed by Mr I. J. Bridger, director general of the society in the Dominion, the Mayor, Mr H. D. Caro, presiding. “I consider that all the work the Red Cross could do in this district is already being undertaken by the St. John Ambulance Association,” said Mr H. D. Cobb, district superintendent of the association. He added that it was understood that there was an arrangement between the association and the society under which the society undertook that it would ndt endeavour to establish branches where the association was already operating. “That is an erroneous statement,” replied Mr Bridger, adding that Hamilton should be able to support both organisations. The trained personnel of both would not be sufficient to cope with the requirements of the district in a time of national emergency. The two organisations had agreed to' work in harmony, but,” said Mr Bridger, “I have met with opposition throughout the country. The Dominion headquarters of the association, however, does not approve of its branches opposing the Red Cross.” Mr Bridger expressed resentment' of the fact that representatives of St. John Ambulance had come to his meeting eulogising the work of their own association. He had given up a career for Red Cross work. Knowing

that the association’s headquarters did not approve of such tactics he intended reporting the results of the meeting to them. A motion proposed by Mr Cobb that Mr Bridger be thanked for his address, but that no branch of the society be formed in Hamilton, was negatived by the meeting in favour of an amendment that a branch should be formed. Mr Caro later remarked that he thought Hamilton could not have too many societies of the type, in view of the present, world unrest.