FOR THE WOUNDED

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2464, 18 May 1915, Page 3

FOR THE WOUNDED

AN APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE

A FUND FOR COMFORTS

An invitation to tho people of New Zealand to subscribe to a fund for comforts for the sick and wounded soldiers in hospitals at the front or elsewhere was given by the Minister of Defence in an interview with a reporter yesterday.

"Some people have been asked," he said, "to send money from New Zealand to provide comforts for soldiers |n hospital. I haven't the slightest objection to the sending of money from different localities to anybody in Egypt or elsewhere, but I do want to point out that it is not a satisfactory way of providing for comforts. The sick and wounded are now in hospitals in different placns. • Some are in England j some in Egypt, and some in Malta; and it is impossible for any single individual by sending direct contributions to Egypt to supply the wants of the men or the regiment he wishes to reach. Some may there, and some may be in other hospitals. Further than that, it is practically impossible for anybody from a local district by sending money to, the front to -reach the most deserving cases. For instance, money may be sent to Egypt and the most deserving cases may be in Malta. In order to meet the difficulties in Egypt I telegraphed the Headquarters of the Medical Service there £1000 for comforts, anticipating that the public would like to subscribe this money, and I now give them a chance of doing so, They may pay their contributions to the credit of the Public Account at any branch of the Bank of New Zealand, and send a receipt to the Paymaster-General at Wellington. I will do my best to see that the money is sent to those hospitals where comforts are most needed. This is the only way that I can see of effectively dealing with the question, and preventing overlapping and waste of money. My idea - is that the duty of the Government is to provide necessities for the hospital, leaving to the public generosity the provision of comforts. I sent the .£IOOO because I feared the money might be neodeel at once, and there was not time to make an appeal to the public. Now the people may subscribe that amount, and, of course, as much more as they please. "At present wo have 110 information n.j to the particular hospitals that individual men are in, but I have telegraphed for it, and I have asked for periodical reports from every hospital. If these reports are obtainable, we shall make them public as soon as we get them. ' I am also taking steps to ascertain whether there is any list of killed beyond those we have received."