A REQUEST

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2510, 10 July 1915, Page 14

A REQUEST

MATTER OF BED EQUIPMENT v FOR THE SOLDIERS 5 , The Executive Committeo of the We].' liriston Patriotic Society, was waited upon on Thursday evening by a deputation from tlio St. John Ambulance Association, with a request that . tlio society should' donate a sum of £50 or £100 for tho equipment of beds for the sick at Xrentham. Mr. Harris', who was tho first spokesman, stated that the association' had received an application to equip, beds at the Trentham Camp immediately, and it bad no funds in hand to do it, and they had thought it best' to make an; appeal to the society. There, was no doubt that this ■ equipment wag very urgently needed—it was a' really Rood work, and might bs tho means of saviiiß. one. or two lives.

'Iho chairman: "Is this not a matter; for the Government?" ■' Mr. Harris could only say that they hail been called upon, to equip the beds. The Government took a long time to do these thingß, : and the ' beds would bp very welcome compared with the rough quarters _now given the men. - ; •• Mr. HiE said that it should bo clearly understood that'the fitud they wer» raisins was not one'to relievo .the Government of its responsibilities,:' and : all the society's funds were ' supplement oip\ '•• " Mr.L. 0. H. Tripp: "Have you ieon lo tho Government . Mr. Preston.- ."No." Mr, Tripp: "I ain certain if you went to them thoy would give it to you at onco." ; Mrs.. Preston said, she understood that. 25 per cent, of tho Fund was to be devoted to St. John Ambulance,' and they thought that Jf such was the case it was a _pity if they could not draw upon' it . in a case! of such urgency. These men at Trentham wero just as much soldiers as those at the front, and wcre.ientitled to as much consideration as'they could give them. Mr.' Hill assured Mrs. Preston that that she had the sympathy of everyone in tho room, but 'until the fund was properly constituted aiid trustees appointed, they had licr legal right "to. towels a penny of it. Mr.', Harris thought that they:' 1 might ro behind the legal rights of the- case m this instance, and by doing so no logal man nor the public would do, anything; hut applaud them, ■ ' ; .i

•••Mr; ;j. Lewis (secretary) said they Lai right to 1 touch the' Fund money but if it was too urgent t-6 approacl Uio Government they might take iiume diate steps to raise an amount. Mr.' D. C. Bates said tliat this was tho fault - of, someone—they knew not who—but the Government was riot bankrupt. It was'-ready' to spend money to save the lives of men, but every penny of the money the society had. raised would bo needed for the* wounded soldiers 'who returned from the front, and if they_ had £100,000 it. would only bo a drop ,in the'ocean. He thought it was wasting time,;.and the deputation' would do better by seeing the'doctors and, the Government.

■ ' Mr. C. M. Luke suggested that they might get an-advance from the Mayor's Patriotic Fund, seeing that the society was tied up as it was. Mr. H. T. Gillmore said that if an application were,'madp.-to"tlid Government, £50 or £100 would bo immediately forthcoming. . Mrs. Preston said, that in. New Zealand the St. John Ambulance did the Red Cross work. The two bodies wero incorporated at the Geneva; Conference, and they felt it incumbent upon them to sea that tho Ked Cross ivork was done, l'hcy had approached the.'sodioty ; as in the case of the'Government,'there was a lot of formality, they would See what could be done, and' would think it over before the war was ended. (Smiles.) At, the present moment the men at Trentharn wero 'soldiers, and in addition to looking after thorn' they had to remember that- tliemeri at''the;front-'; would have the winter on'them'. If they had t<i wait for .the Government there was all tho : little- red tapes to pull. They Wanted to do the work now, not when it was too lato' to do it. (Applause.) : At, this stage a member of, the, executive'promised that an association he was connected with would guarantee £50 to be/paid on Saturday. ;•* Mr. Hill said they all had this work at heart, and would like to know who had made tho request for these beds. Mrs.. Preston said that' Mrs.Luko had been asked to furnish'<loo beds, and she had requested the St. John Amb.ulance to undertake some of the work. j, Mr. Hill: Who asked 1 Mrs. Luke to'do this? ■ . ' Mrs. Preston: Dr. Valintine, I believe, - - , Mi-. Tripp: And tho Government would _ guarantee the . payment/: Dr. Valintine had . evidently thought;'that this was the quickest way to;, get tho beds. _ I am quito . certain that if Dr. Valintine made the request the Government ivill pay for the material. ■ Finally Mr. R,. Hall offered to donate £5,. and Mr. Tripp offered a similar amount, so that the mission of. the deputation resulted in the raising of '£60.independent of .what tho Government may do. ■ ■ .' '

A SUCCESSFUL CANVASS. . As a result' of tlio appeal 'made.by : the' deputation from tho St Jolm Ambulance Association which waited'on tbe New Zealand Patriotic Society, Mr. J. Lewis, secretary of the society, has set to work with a. view to'helpiiig tho' sick soldiers. He has undertaken to see that the sum of £100 is collected, for tlie : 'St. John Ambulance Association's work. His efforts have so far resulted in a most generous response, and in the course of ' half an hour yesterday he collected the sum of £13 Bs. Donations received are as follow:—Mr. J. M'Donald, £5 55.; Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald, £5 55.; Mr. James Hannah, £~2 25.; Wardell Bros. Staff (per I?. Evans), £2 25.; Mr. M. Edgar, £1 15s. : Mr. R. Leslie Jones, £1 Is.; Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh, £1 Is.; Mr. Herb. Price, £1 Is.; 'Mr. J. Hislop, £l Is.; Mr.' P. Hanna. £1 Is.: Mi'.'Cardston, £1 is '• Mr. Lewis will bo pleased to receive' further donations, and these will he handed oyer to the secretary's treasurer to be forwarded to the St. Jolm Ambulance Association. .