WAITARA.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 146001, 6 December 1917, Page 5

WAITARA.

FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. Deo. s.—ln the interest of our boys, I have been requested to publish the following letter written by Mrs. H. S. Craw'ford, hon. sec. of the Countess of Liverpool Fund, to Mrs. Lund, the hon. see. of the Waitara Women’s Patriotic League:— “Dear Madam,—A field officer who has seen much service abroad is urging upon this society the necessity of securing a rest for the Voluntary Nursing Sisterhood, who left New' Zealand for Egypt in 1915. To give these ladies the holiday w’hich is suggested the sum of £3OO must be raised. My committee has requested me to solicit youi sympathy and assistance. If each district would supply £75 the holiday is assured.” The field officer has written very earnestly on the subject and .is full of admiration for th© voluntary nurses and the work they are doing and he has proved to us that the holiday which lie desires them to have is an absolute necessity. He has seen -their work and tile conditions under which it is performed, and he know's that tire Dominion owes them a debt of gratitude. They have made life bearable for our soldiers in a climate which is terribly trying, and by their unselfish efforts they have kept many of our own men and the men of the Australian army in good health and spirits. Tho voluntary nurses received no assistance from the iGowernment am. their expenses were paid by private individuals and various patriotic societies. During the summer they opened a canteen on the sand of Tel-el-Kebir desert where they lived in groat discomfort tho women toiling unceasingjy, iu 191.7 they established a club for the soldiers with reading and writing room It is hardly necessary to point out that these women require a rest and that they must get it m Upper Egvpt or the Soudan. My committee 'is quite certain that you will do all you can to help the women who arc working so nobly for our boys, and who are prepared to go on working until they drop by tho way.” Commenting on the above, Mrs. Lund says; ••The ladies of the. guild would gladjy help if they were in a position to do so for it is one of the objects among many others which we women feel that we should work for and which takes us to our rooms every week to carry out such work. It was hoped that th© V’omen’s Guild tvould have had funds upon which they could draw as a result of the Labour Day Fete, but unfortunately the Gala Committee decided that we were not deserving of any recognition for our work and allocated us nothing so that we cannot respond to this appeal on behalf of our sisters who arc enduring discomforts unthought of by us.” I have often heard it remarked at various patriotic gatherings that successes would not have been , attained were it not for the splendid work done by the women. Yet, when it comes to allocation of funds a majority of the committee put the decided affront of refusing funds to the very ladies to whom was entrusted tho management of one of the principal stalls, and the refreshments. Comment is needless and apparently useless, but I do hope that those who have lauded the praise, for the work done by the ladies will skew their appreciation in tho future in a more practical fashion. . Mrs. Birdling, the president of tho Women’s National Reserve, desires it. to bo known that any mother of a soldier writing to obtain a badge, should apply cither to the secretary, Mrs. Fraser, or to herself. Farmers are very busy getting in their turnip seed, but tho land is dust dry and it is rather discouraging work. I learn that Toddy Clare an Jem Campbell are on their way back from the war, and arc expected to arrive in New Zealand shortly.