THE ORGANISATION OF THE RED COSS.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2586, 7 October 1915, Page 9

THE ORGANISATION OF THE RED COSS.

Sir,—When in Australia last month I •went very carefully into tho organisation of their Red- Cross Society/ and,, when in Melbourne, interviewed thoir secretary, Mr. Towns, at' Federal Government House, the Hon. Arthur Robinson (who is helping to draft the Bed Cross rules), Major Ernest Jones, the secretary at the Town Hall, Dr. Edith Barrett, the ladies'. secretary, Melbourne (of the Australian Red Cross), , also the secretary of the New South Wales branch, Sydney. They all very kindly gave me all the information possible as follows: To begin with, they first started working for the British Red_ Cross as we are doing at present in New Zealand, but found people would not take it up very keenly, as they preferred to work for their own woiinded soldiers. They then suggested they would form an Australian Red Cross, which was welcomed by the British Red Cross, and they agreed to refund all tlie money they had already sent. The Australian lted Cross is now a branch of the British,, but; they organiso their own hospitals, nurses, motor transports of wounded, etc. Thoy look after their own funds and distribution of goods wherever wanted at the seat of war.

Australia is divided into divisions, and each State has its committee and central depot for receiving goods. Throughout each State there aro subcommittees in the various small towns (I am told there are 150 in Victoria alone). These are all for the purpose of collecting goods and money which must go through the central depot- of the Red Cross in each State.

They have a committee of their own in London, with Sir George Reid, the High Commissioner, as chairman, also their owe committee in Egypt. ' All through Australia the men and school children are /organised t'o work for the Red Cross just as much as the women. They make splints, chairs, bed tables, packing-cases, stretchers, crutches, walking-sticks, stools, bed frames, and various other things. I must say I was very taken with their work, and saw hundreds of stretchers made by the railway men at night time. The children under 14 years of age in Victoria alone have made and delivered to date, September 13,18,000 splints. ■ It is wonderful how people are girmg money in Australia to their Red Cross. New South Wales has collected to date (including Australia Day Fund) over £800,000, and the total collected in Australia for their Red Cro'ss to tho end of September was about £1,260,000. If.New Zealand had done its duty in the same proportions,, we ought to have collected at least £250,000 for the Red Cross. 1 doubt if we have collected (not including the Hospital Ship) £30,000 in the whole of New Zealand. After seeing what Australia has done/ I am convinced New Zealand should get leave to start a New Zealand branch of the' Red Cross with His Excellency tho Governor rind Lady Liverpool the head of it. My reason for altering the name is that I am sure all tlie other centres would come into line and work for their wounded. Up to this 1 don't think wo have done our share for our wounded, and 1 feel very strongly if the title were altered to tho New Zealand Red Cross,' we would get far more money and goods than we have done up to the present—l am, etc., BERNARD TRIPP. Gleuifci, Timaru, October 3. P.S. —There have been some complaints about" the organisation of tho Australian Red Cross in Egypt, but when one reads reports from men like Sir Frederick Treves, who says:—"l can pay no higher compliment than by wiylug that the medical arraiigamgtits jrf tho Australian army, ar© as splendid.

as t'he fighting qualities of its men," I think «'e can safoly take it that the complaints are what one must cxpect in a largo organisation like the Australian Bed Cross. Their work is becoming such a huge undertaking in Egypt that Mr. Knox, K.C., the lied Cross Commissioner, has cabled, asking six business men to come to Egypt at once in connection with the handling of goods, and four other persons suitable for work in connection with the inquiry department. So now, no doubt, t'he mistakes made in the beginning as to distribution of goods in Egypt will be rectified.