CORRESPONDENCE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 16824, 1 December 1916, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE COLLECTION OF FUNDS

The following correspondence spsaks for itself:

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—l have the honour to forward herewith a copy of a leitter which 1 am forwarding by to-day's mail to the chairman of the Wanganui Patriotic Society. ( I should be glad if you could find space to publish the same in your paper. A copy of the letter ill also being sent to the Mayor of Wanganui and to the editor of the "Herald."—l have the honour to be. sir— Your obedient servant . . - - H, H. SEED. Assistant Commissioner in Charge, St. John Ambulance Brigade Overseas. Nathan's Buildings, Wellington m m •' Nov..2y.tn, 1916. ihe -.Chairman, Wanganui Patriotic Society, Wanganui. Dear Sir, —My attention has been called to a report in the columns of the Wanganui papers of remarks made at a nufeting of tne Wanganui . Patriotic Society with regard to the collection of funds for Bed Cross work. . -. - As Mrs. Gifford Moore, the lady superintendent of the Wanganui Nursing Division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade Overseas, was responsible for the arrangements made for the collection of a large sum of money during the progress oi your recent Agricultural Show ; 1 dsside to make the following statement:— / ■

The St. John Ambulance Brigade is a branch of the Order of St. John, the headquarters of which are at St. John's Gate, Clerkenjvell, London. The official head of the St. John Ambulance. Brigade Overseas is MaiorGeneral J. C. Dalton, late R.A., whose address is also St. John's Gate Lonoon. Eaoh branch is responsible' to iiim, as official head, through certain ofticersi ; i . -

Prior to the war, Lieut.-Colonel G. Barclay was. the Deputy Commissioner in charge of the Brigade in New Zealand, and upon his departure on active Service I/was appointed temporarily as Assistant Commissioner in Charge. Mrs. Moore is the lady in charge of a unit of lady, members in Wanganui, and is responsible to me for her Red Cross and Ambulance Brigade activities. ...".... °.

Immediately upon the outbreak of war, the;members of the Brigade which has units in all the principal towns of New Zealand, automatically became lied Cross workers. Instructions were received from headquarters in London to collect money and 'to supply hospital requirements. This has', bten going cn> continually, since the declaration of war. and both money and goods have ijcen regularly sant to headquarters for U^.nbunon, and duly acknowledged. ■ in ordinary times all communications to.headquarters would pass through me but these are extraordinary times • and the women of the Brigade m Wario-a--ml have magnificent work on behalf of the sick and wounded. I have therefore, not had any objection to Mrs Moore forwarding monies which she has collected m Wanganui, to headquarters direct from Wanganui. . Particulars with regard to all monies si ut away are forwarded to the Underbecietary of Internal Affairs, while on some occasions money has been forwarded to him and he has kindly transmitted it m accordance with the wishes or tiie donors.

With reierence to the collection made in connection \\ ith the recent Agricultural Show. M?-s Moore interviewed the officers of the Internal Affairs Dpartment with regard to the arrangements made, to ensure that everything should be done in correct order. Lord Ranfurly. with whom Mrs. Jlpore has sometimes communicated is Director of the Ambulance Section' of the Order of St. John in England. \\ ith regard to the large quantity of hospital equipment, comforts and invalid ioods which have been forwarded irom Wanganui, the St. John Ambulance and Red Cross Dapot in Wan»anui work m conjunction with the head depot of the Brigade in Wellington, whence the goods are shipped to' headquarters England, or to hospitals in I'ranee, Egypt, or Mesopotamia, as necessity demands. ; . As .th* present .head-, of the Brigade m New Zealand,.l am requested by the Home authorities to supply a-' report «t thf Red Cross work done by each branch of the Brigade, and in that report the work of the Wanganui Nursing Division will be fully set forth I hope that the foregoing will be sufficient to convince the Patriotic Com "J 1**6®.^ the people of Wanganui that Mrs-Giflford Moore and her committee, have ample anthoricy for any effort they may -make in obtain funds or equipment for the benefit of our sick and wounded— Lhave the honour to be sir. your obedient servant ' <' ' . ' -^ H. H. SEED, Acting Commissioner.in Charge St. John Ambulance Brigade . - ■ ' Overseas.