HOSPITAL ORDERLIES.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2546, 21 August 1915, Page 13

HOSPITAL ORDERLIES.

Sir,—l saw in the paper that Lieiiten-nnt-Colonel .Walton, Chief Commissioner of .the. St. John Ambulance Brigade Overseas, had cabled to Mr. Seed, Acting Commissioner here, for men orderlies to do duty in tbe hospitals "at Home or abroad," the pay to bo Is. Cd. a day. I am afraid as that cablo will not meet with tlie requirements of'the St. Jolui men out here, as tho allowance is too for many of the men have wives and families, and others parents depending on them. The Government here, 1 understand, has bceai asked for MflifciuiM and rafuusd. TJ.wo wo htivo A JiftdiflJ trailed,i&ea. mhoftauld.md«T

take the duties of "orderlies," and many of them liolding "nursing" certificates, and out Government pass them by. Men are wanted, they have been aslied for by Lieutenant-Colonel Dalton, a man who knows what is wanted. Our boys, who aro wounded, need us. Look at tile hundreds who aro in different hospitals at Home. Would it not be a comfort to many of them bravo fellows if they should come across a New Zealand ambulance man in that hospital doing duty? I am aware wo have two hospitals nlso ono in England, as well as a Hospital Ship, but they aro not enough. .The cry lias come, "Men are wanted," tvhy can't the Government say to the St. John authorities boro, "Get the men and we will pay them the same as our boys" ? If red-tape is in the way break it, for at times like these there ought not to be any barriers in the way of those who want to do their duty. What has the St. John Ambulance Nursing Association dono that they should be ignored as well? Thousands at Home of (irst-aiders and mursing divisions are employed iu their various spheres—l am, etc., ORDERLY, Palmerston North 1 .