NEW ZEALAND RELIEF FOR SERBIA

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2643, 14 December 1915, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND RELIEF FOR SERBIA

SALVATION ARMY REPORT, The Salvation Army, Wellington, has received from Headquarters in London a cable message giving the following particulars of the distribution of funds subscribed in New Zealand for the relief of Serbians: — Colonel Govaars, who was sent to Serbia by General Booth to administer the money raised in New Zealand for the relief of tho suffering, has returned to London after six months' absence. ' Ho says that the assistance mado possible through the generosity of tho Gisborno people and others in New Zealand is very highly appreciated by the authorities and the much-afflicted Serbians. "Everywhere I went," says tho Colonel, "I mado known by whom tho money was sent, and the gratitude to the Dominion is most marked; The "reater part of tho relief has been administered according to tho well-known Army methods, no promiscuous doles being tolerated. My effort chiefly concentrated on the neighbourhood of Shabatz, whero tho first Austrian attack took placo over a year ago. The town, which had suffered greatly through the bombardment and subsequent occupation by the enemy, was in an extremely filthy state. I organised a scheme of systematic sanitary cleansing, and thus was able to assist 250 families with wages—about 15s. weekly. I was also afforded the groat pleasure of meeting in Salonika some survivors of tho New Zealand Stationary Hospital staff, who were on the Marquette when torpedoed. Among them I found a large percentage of converted men and women and four Salvationists."