MOUNT FELIX.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11506, 30 September 1915, Page 1

MOUNT FELIX.

THE NEW ZEALAND HOSPITAL. ADDITIONS NEEDED. [From Ovn Correspondent.] LONDON, August 12. So great is the pressure on the New Zealand Hospital at. Walton-on-Thames —there arc- already 95 men there and many others could be drafted there—tbat a meeting of the hospital committee is taking place this afterno n in order to d-fcuss a scheme for enlargement. Tha hospital authorities are in close communication with the War Office, which has now issued instructions to every command to keep a list of New Zealanden? amongst the wounded in hospital in order that they can be sent to Walton as soon as ever there is room for them. It is hoped that the X-ray apparatus which is not yet quite ready will be installed this week. The radiographer will be Dr Grace, son of the late Hon Dr Grace, H,L.C, of New Zealand. The ambulances at present in us© have been lent by the Red Cross Society, but the hospital will very shortly have three of its own. Three visiting days a week have been fixed for the hospital and all visitors are required to have passes, which, however, are very simply obtained from any officer or the hospital or from the offices of the New Zealand W.C.A. The High Comissioner and Mrs Mackenzie spirit last week-end ax Weymouth, where there are a, hundred New Zealanders at the Australian and New Zealand base depot. The original idea was that the men sent down there from convalescent homes should be ready to go into training before being sent back to vhe Dardanelles, but Mr Mackenzie, who talked to all the men, finds a number there who are too serii ously disabled to return to the Dardanelles. He was greatly distressed to find no less than ten oases of semiblindness amongst the hundred. The men, however, were in wonderful spirits and express themselves as more than satisfied with their treatment. A very kindly act on the part of Mr Mackenzie on Ins wesiti\n %/om the base was the despatch of a private letter to the next of kin of each of the men he met, describing how he had found them in health and spirits. Mr Mackenzie and his daughter yesterday visited New Zealanders who are in Mount Vernon Hosp'tal at Haswstead. While they were there fourteen were well enough to be despatched to the New Zealand Hospital at Walton. . All were being most excellently treated as the flowers, sweets, etc., on every man's table testified. Mrs Mackenzie'has already taken up her residence at Walton and the others follow shortly. A gentleman who is making a generous gift to the New Zealand Hospital has written to the High Commissioner as follows:—"I might say I consider the opening of the hospital by you a great success in ever? way and an object lesson"to us s!"v Eritishers of rapid work and suet.-. ? finance."