RED CROSS SOCIETY

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16154, 7 March 1918, Page 2

RED CROSS SOCIETY

MEETING OF WOMEN'S BBANCH

The Women's Branch of the Red Cross Society met yesterday morning, Mrs Alec Boyle presiding over a large attendance.

The packing and shipping report supplied bv Mrs H. F. Wigram, showed that during the month 14 cases valued at £915 had gone to the French l?ed Cross, "8 cases valued at £1295 to the British Red Cross, 13 cases vshied at £913 to Egypt, 6 cases valued at £175 to a hospital ship, 0 cases valued at £30 to Salonica, while from Timaru 20 cases valued at £303 had been forwarded, making a- total of 100 casts valued at £3643.

The City Branch reported a very satisfactory month's work.

The Surgical Department (Mrs Lavie) reported having sent out 23,871 articles. The department also sent 18 dozen assorted stump socks to the officer commanding the artificial limb factory at Wellington, while returned soldiers hiul aLso been supplied with stump socks and leg slings. Mrs Lavie stated that diagrams with printed directions for making leg slings, pneumonia jackets, and capciines might bo had on application. The Sales Department reported that the sales of garments had reaJised £1011 14s lid, and sales of wool £161 6s Bd.

The Enquiry Bureau reported thjit- ths work of the bureau in February bad been light, owing' to the few casualties reported. Letters received had numbered 432, while 453 were despatched in addition to lists and cards. Only 96 new files had been opened, S6 enquiries had been forwarded in reference to soldiers reported killed, and 10 for the missing, while 107 applications fir photographs had forwarded to the Director of Graves Registration. One hundred and twenty reports were obtained, gome of which were very valuable. Mrs Vernon, for the Receiving Departmeht, reported having- received 10,594 articles during the month. Mrs Geo. Rhodes reported upon visits to hospitals. Thero were 46 men in the- Christchurch Hospital, 18 men and 2 nursee in the Sanatorium,* 0 in the Coronation Hospital, and 165 at Hanmer. The men liad been visited regularly and supplied with comforts. Four hams which had beet} won at the Red Cross shop had bean given by their winners to the men in hospital, also a cake which had been presented by the Countess of Liverpool to the United Club's tennis tournament and won by Miss Menizos had been given by that lady to tho Sanatorium. The Glenroy and Kimberley Branches were thanked for generous supplies of cakc. The value of garments distributed to local military hospitals was £26.

Tho comforts report for February stated that the donations received totalled £133 9s Id, of which £70 was given by the Hanmer Red Cross Guild. Tho expenditure was approximately £200. Tho Cashmere Hills Branch had sent a special donation of £10 to procure malted milk, while a generous supply of fruit had been received, and there had been a fair response to the department's request for jams and pickles, although the department could do with more.

Mrs Bovle thanked tho branches for their prompt response to a request for white sheets, quilts, and other articles for a hospital ship recently despatched. Mr A. E. G. Rhodes reported that the additional returns to."Our iJay" Fund amounted to £716, which brought tho total lor Canterbury Military District to over £20,000, whilo the total for tho Dominion was about £60,000. Recent donations for material and general purposes amounted to £393 lis 7d.

Tho financial report showed the receipts during February to have been £2512 16s Id and the expenditure £3096 3s lid, whilo the balance available was £1120 16s.

Hearty votes of thanks were accorded the Edmonds Baking- Powder Company and ths Christchurch Gaa Company for " generous of packing cases.