ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2720, 15 March 1916, Page 7

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION.

Sir, —Now that the St. John Ambulauc(j Association and tho British Red Cross Society have been brought together /under one council, as at Home. I would like to give some particulars of ! the work of the St. John Ambulance 'Association, which I take from a memorandum . published by tho chief secra. tar? of the Order, who says that owing to the fact .that the term Red Cross is often applied collectively to all work for relief of the sick and wounded in war, it is a common error to ascribe all the activities .of the Joint Commit. Cec to the British Red Cross Society, Ho states that the two bodies are working together under a joint committee formed of equal numbers of members, of' the two bodies for the purpose of administering tho "Time's" Fund and I co-ordinating all matters relating to the war in general and the following in particular—stores and, transport, motor boats, ambulances, hospital trains, wounded, missing, and prisoners' department,', Prisoners, of War Fund, and ' nursing personnel. . . He then gives the following particulars of rfihe work of tho Order of St. John. The Stores Department has i existed for many years at St. John's Gate, for the provision of text-books, ambulance equipment, etc. At the beginning of the war a warehouse was opened at 56 St. John's Square tho Ladies' Committee, under the chairmanship. of Her Grace the Duchess of Bedford. This institution supplies hospital clothing and comforts, unci when nuch are available, articles of. surgical »nd medical equipment to the 200 vol- / untary aid detachment hospitals,_ which "" are more infipiatety connected with St John, A total of 1.159,913 articles have been received -and 828,968 artfcles distributed up to December 31, 1915. There aie 779 voluntary aid detaoh. ments, consisting of 26,133 men _and women; of these ISSB women are sen-, ing in military hospitals at Home and abroad. The Order of St. John has

200 hospitals, with an aggregate of 9210 beds. The Indian Soldiers' Fund main tains the. Lady Hardinge Hospital, with 500 bed's, and supplies comforts- to hospitals and hospital ships in which Indian wounded are accommodated. Members to the number of 21,608 of the St. John Ambulance Brigade are at worlf in the Royal Navy Auxiliary Sicli Berth Reserve, the Royal Naval Divi aion Medical Unit, tho Military Houiu Hospitals Rescrvo, and Qenernl Servico R.A.M.C., the Expeditionary Forca Ii.A.M.C., the St. John Ambulauca Brigade Hospital Tn France, privatft hospitals at' Homo and abroad, and in the Joint War tJommjifeo, Order of St. John, and British" Ked Cross So ciety. Throughout tho country invalid transport corps have been organ isc'cT, who meet ambulance trains and transfer the sick and . wounded, to ho&» pitals. It has been necessary to seouro additional premises at St. John a Gate, and to increase the staff to deal effectually with the mass of extra work •caused by the'war. Tlie Brigade Overseas lias been and is cloing valuable work in ■ connection with tlie war, and has_ supplied a certain number of orderlies and_ nursing sisters ?or the military . hospitals ao Homo and abroad. During tho year ended September 30, 191' S. tho St. John Ambulance Association has issued 143,959 certificates, 12,217 labels, and 9996 medallions. The chief secretary closes his memorandum with - following words ■. ' 'Supporters may rest assured, that though much may not lie heard of the Order > and its doings, still its benefioent Work is going on quietly and unostentatiously as Tierelofore, and every effort is being inn tie successfully to meet all the excalls made upon it-in the pre> sent emergency."—l am, etc., CHAS.P. POWLES, Chairman of the Wellington Centre, St. John Ambulance Association. Wellington, March .13.